Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-12-Speech-2-282"
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"en.20050412.29.2-282"2
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".
The Commission adopted the second report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive in 2002. It indicated that at that stage significant progress had been made by Member States in this area. In recent years that progress has been maintained. All Member States have by now established water monitoring networks. All have either designated nitrate-vulnerable zones and established action programmes for those zones, or made use of the possibility given by the directive to establish an action programme for the whole territory.
Ireland is among a group of Member States that took this option. Nitrate-vulnerable zones, including whole territories, accounted for about 38% of the total European Union of 15 in 2000. Since then the percentage has increased because of the designation of new vulnerable zones in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Greece, Spain and Italy and because of the territorial approach chosen by Ireland.
Member States are also upgrading and further developing their action programmes as they realise that, in order to improve water quality, strong and fully applicable action programmes are necessary. Similar progress has been taking place in the new Member States. They have fulfilled the commitment set out in the Accession Treaty and by the date of accession had designated nitrate-vulnerable zones, established action programmes and adopted codes of good agricultural practice. The Commission is currently examining the quality of these designations and action programmes.
Despite that progress, it may take years before we see a considerable improvement in water quality. There is a time lag between action and results. However, the trend seems positive as encouraging signs are already emerging in some countries.
The Commission is fully committed to ensuring that the Nitrates Directive is correctly implemented in Member States by using all the tools at its disposal. That clearly includes the launch of infringement proceedings against Member States that do not correctly implement the different steps required by the directive.
An infringement procedure is currently open against Ireland. Following the ruling of the European Court of Justice of 11 March 2003, the Irish authorities officially submitted to the Commission the action programme established according to Article 5 of the directive. The Commission considers the Irish action programme not fully compliant with the directive on several issues, which were indicated in detail in the letter of formal notice sent to Ireland at the end of 2004. A reply is still awaited."@en1
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