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The European Commission today published the first comprehensive evaluation of the Nitrates Directive since its adoption in 1991. Covering more than 30 years of implementation, the evaluation shows that EU rules remain effective to protect Europe's waters from agricultural nitrate pollution. It also identifies opportunities to simplify its implementation, reduce administrative burden and improve outcomes for both farmers and the environment. This is accompanied by the publication of the latest country reports for the 2020–2023 period, which include recommendations to support Member States.
The Nitrates Directive remains relevant in addressing agricultural nitrate pollution and its impacts on water quality and ecosystems. It has been effective in driving better nutrient management and contributing to reductions in nitrate pollution in many parts of the EU. Significant progress has been achieved over 30 years of implementation.
The evaluation concludes that the Directive also has a clear EU added value by setting a common baseline for action across Member States, targeting its intervention to areas where pollution or the risk of pollution is greatest. It is coherent with related EU water, nature and agricultural policies, and critical to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive. It provides a cost-efficient and sustainable approach to supporting ecosystems, drinking water treatment and public health.
The evaluation also identifies potential for simplification and administrative burden reduction for farmers. The Commission will thus work in close cooperation with Member States to identify best practices and simplification potential in the implementation of the Nitrates Directive, without compromising results. A particular focus will be placed on calendar farming practices, reducing administrative burden for small farms, and improving nutrient management at farm level, adapted to local circumstances.
More efficient and circular nutrient management can deliver cleaner water while lowering costs for farmers. Better use of nutrients can reduce reliance on imported mineral fertilisers, whose prices are closely linked to volatile global energy markets. Cutting dependency on synthetic nitrogen can strengthen farm resilience and contribute to Europe's strategic autonomy. Additionally, as announced in the Fertiliser Action Plan and in the Livestock Strategy, the Commission is preparing the ground to extend the RENURE act for certain types of liquid digestates based on manure with appropriate environmental safeguards. Biodigestates have high potential to contribute to an overall higher amount of available biofertilisers for use in Europe. The first step will be the delivery of a first preliminary scientific assessment later this year.
Climate change will also significantly impact how the Nitrates Directive will be implemented in the future. The Directive's flexibility allows for innovative and resilient approaches to help farms adapt. The evaluation also highlights the flexibility that the Directive gives to Member States to adapt measures to national and regional needs.
In addition, as water quality improvements remain uneven across the EU, and nutrient pollution is still too high in several regions, the evaluation identifies the need to address areas with high concentration of livestock. This confirms the findings of the recently adopted EU Strategy on livestock, which also includes some targeted actions in this respect.
Furthermore, by the end of 2027, the monitoring cycles of the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive are set to converge. This will create an opportunity to streamline reporting and support water resilience.
Following the publication of the report, Copa-Cogeca expressed disappointment that the evaluation does not propose a modernisation of the Nitrates Directive. The organisation argues that the assessment does not sufficiently reflect the profound changes European agriculture has undergone over the past three decades, nor the impact of the fertiliser crisis, climate change and technological developments. It also calls for a more flexible, innovation-driven regulatory framework that supports both the competitiveness and resilience of the European agricultural sector.
July 14, 2026/ European Commission/ European Union.
https://ec.europa.eu
