Greece faces EU fine for not curbing water pollution

Greece faces a stiff European Union fine for failing to align with environmental standards regarding water purity.

Specifically, the country faces the prospect of being brought before the European Court of Justice for failing to curb the pollution of surface and ground water caused by nitrates from agricultural fertilizers.

The European Commission’s proposal is for Athens to pay a lump sum penalty of at least 1.3 million euros and an additional 23,725-euro fine for every day it delays payment.

In 2015, the court ruled that Greece had failed to protect its waters against agricultural nitrate pollution and ordered it to designate affected areas of land as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and set up action programs to reduce the pollution in those areas.

Authorities subsequently designated 12 zones but failed to compile and enforce an action plan for their protection.