23/12/09
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled in a case against the UK relating to designation of 'sensitive areas' for estuaries and seas.
This case* was brought by the European Commission against the United Kingdom for allegedly not complying with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in the following respects:
• the UK should have designated the Humber, the Wash, the Deben and Colne Estuaries, the Outer Thames Estuary, Southampton Water and the North East Irish Sea as 'sensitive areas'
• the UK had failed to install adequate collection and treatment facilities for discharges from Antrim, Craigavon, Magherafelt and Porterdown to designated sensitive areas.
The ECJ rejected the first complaint in its entirety, this on the grounds that the Commission had failed to adduce sufficient evidence to show that the areas in question were sensitive areas as defined by the directive.
The ECJ only allowed the second complaint to the extent that it related to Craigavon and Magherafelt.
Is this the end of the matter? No doubt the Commission will now need to review its position.
Contact: Richard Venters
* European Commission v United Kingdom (Case 390/07) and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC
