Brussels refers Bulgaria and Romania to court for wastewater failures

The European Commission has referred Bulgaria and Romania on the 14^th of November 2024 to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to adequately collect and treat urban wastewater. In Bulgaria, 60 agglomerations are still failing to comply with the rules, while in Romania 459 agglomerations are non-compliant.

In a Press Release the European Commission announced to refer Bulgaria and Romania to the EU Court of Justice for failing to fully comply with the collection and treatment obligations set forth in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Towns and cities need to put in place the necessary infrastructure to collect and treat their urban wastewater. Bulgaria and Romania became Members of the EU in January 2007. Both countries have benefitted from derogations to comply with this directive under their Accession Treaty. Bulgaria and Romania also received substantial EU funding for urban wastewater treatment through cohesion policy projects.

Wastewater failures of Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, 10 big agglomerations (with more than 10,000 inhabitants) fail to fulfil the directive’s requirements concerning collecting systems. In 20 big agglomerations, urban wastewater entering collecting systems is not treated appropriately, and in 30 big agglomerations, Bulgaria is failing to provide more stringent treatment before discharging wastewater into sensitive areas. All these agglomerations should have been compliant by 31 December 2010.

Wastewater failures of Romania

In Romania, more than 60% of wastewater is not adequately treated. 150 big agglomerations (with more than 10,000 inhabitants) fail to fulfil the directive’s requirements concerning collecting systems. In 154 agglomerations, urban wastewater entering collecting systems is not treated appropriately. And in 155 big agglomerations, Romania is failing to provide a more stringent treatment before discharging wastewater into sensitive areas. All these agglomerations should have been compliant by 31 December 2015.

Infringement procedures started years ago

Brussels sent a letter of formal notice to Bulgaria in July 2017, followed by a reasoned opinion in May 2020. The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Romania in June 2018, followed by an additional letter of formal notice in October 2020, and a reasoned opinion in February 2022. This additional letter of formal notice was sent to Romania to include big agglomerations that were not in the scope of the initial letter of formal notice in June 2018. The European Commission considers that efforts by the Bulgarian and Romanian authorities have, to date, been insufficient and is therefore referring Bulgaria and Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union.