1. Nitrates Directive: outline and reporting activities March 2018

2. Nitrates Directive (91/676/EC) - Key elements
OBJECTIVE: reduce water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources and preventing further such pollution
1. Water monitoring
Water courses, lakes, coastal & marine waters, groundwaters
2. Identification of polluted waters or waters at risk of pollution
Waters, which contain or could contain > 50 mg/l nitrates or eutrophic if no action is taken
3. Designation of nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs)
Land draining into polluted waters or waters at risk of pollution. Alternatively, MS can take the "whole territory approach" (i.e. obligatory measures for the entire agricultural area)

3. Nitrates Directive (91/676/EC) - Key elements
4. Elaboration of codes of good agricultural practices
Voluntary measures outside NVZs
5. Elaboration of action programmes
Compulsory measures within NVZs
6. Reporting
MS → Commission (Water quality, NVZ, AP, etc.)
Commission → Parliament, Council, general public (implementation of Directive)

4. Articles 10 and 11 of the Directive
Art. 10: Each four-year Member States shall "submit a report to the Commission containing the information outlined in Annex V" of the Directive (e.g. designation of vulnerable zones, water monitoring results, action programmes, etc.). Art. 11: On the basis of the information received by the Member States the Commission "shall publish summary reports".
1st Reporting period
2nd Reporting period
3rd Reporting period
4th Reporting period
5th Reporting period

5. 5th Report – Background and Status
Third time 27 Member States submitted a report (first time Croatia).
Based on information submitted by Member States and Eurostat data.
12 Member States partially respected initial deadline (June 2016).
Complete set of information only available to the Commission in October 2017.
Publication expected for mid-April 2018 (including Staff Working Document).

6. 5th Report – Preliminary findings
Nitrates in ground, surface and saline water: overall improvement, but differences between Member States.
Comparability between Member States limited by differences in the monitoring networks and strategies.
Presence of hotspots at national and regional level.

7. For info: env-nitrates@ec.europa.eu