Press Release: Commission takes Greece to Court over poor waste water treatment presenting a risk to public health

On 26 February 2015 the European Commission took Greece to Court over a failure to ensure that waste water is properly treated. In the EU, Member States need adequate collection and treatment systems for urban waste water, as untreated water poses risks to human health, inland waters and the marine environment.

Greece was first warned in 2010 about this particular case, which concerns areas with a population in a range between 2000 and 15000. Although many of the original concerns have since been addressed, the scale of the remaining problems now led the Commission to refer the case to the EU's Court of Justice.

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) requires Member States to ensure that agglomerations (towns, cities, settlements) properly collect and treat their urban waste water.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Environment: Meeting the waste water treatment challenge http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-environment-meeting-the-waste-water-treatment-challenge/

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