BRUSSELS, Belgium – Spain could face a fine of €46.5 million for not providing adequate wastewater treatment.
The European Commission (EC) said it would be taking the country back to the EU Court of Justice, which ruled in 2011 that Spain violated EU law by not adequately collecting and treating urban wastewater discharged in multiple areas.
The EC said the “lack of adequate collection and treatment of the wastewater poses significant risks to human health, to inland waters and to the marine environment”.
The Commission has asked the EU Court of Justice to impose a lump sum of €46.5 million as well as proposing a daily fine of €171,217 if full compliance is not achieved by the date when the Court will issue its second ruling.
Under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, from 2001 towns and cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants must collect and treat wastewater.
Vigo and Santiago de Compostela are among the 17 agglomerations under scrutiny.
Other EU member states, including Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal, have already been subject to penalties in similar cases.
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