LUXEMBOURG - The European Union agreed new cleanliness standards for groundwater on Friday, despite opposition from four states which said it didn't go far enough.
Under the deal, groundwater which trickles down through rocks will have to meet the same quality standards for nitrate and pesticide pollution as rivers and lakes in intensively farmed areas.
"Groundwater is an important natural resource which is mainly used for drinking water, industry and agriculture," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a statement welcoming the deal, which completes the EU's water quality legislation.
Authorities in charge of an area which is classed as nitrates vulnerable or intensively farmed have to show they are taking steps to clean up pollution only if they breach the quality limit of 50 milligrams of nitrates per litre of water.
In other areas, member states must take steps to keep pollution within the limits or face court action.
Nitrates come from livestock waste and pesticides from fertilisers.
Germany, Italy, Sweden and Hungary voted against the legislation, saying the EU should set mandatory limits for more pollutants than just nitrates and pesticides.
Most of the Netherlands is defined as a nitrates vulnerable zone, and EU ministers will decide next week whether The Hague should get an exemption from existing rules. Ireland has also struggled to implement EU rules on nitrates.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
