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EU slaps Belgium with €10 million fine
The European Court of Justice sentenced Belgium to pay a fine of €10 million due to insufficient treatment of wastewater, after five communes in Wallonia were found to be not up to standard.
An EU directive dating back to 1991 required that all urban areas of at least 10,000 inhabitants have a minimal system for the collection and treatment of wastewater in place by 1998, with an aim to protect the environment from the adverse effects of urban wastewater.
Belgium was already convicted a first time in 2004, and now for the second time. The commission has ordered the five communes to take immediate action to meet the EU norms. They are: Amay, Malmedy, Herve, Bastogne-Rhin and Luik-Sclessin. However, according to today’s reactions from Walloon minister-president Rudy Demotte and his Environment Minister Philippe Henry, the issues have been addressed.
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It would be a good idea if the people responsible for the treatment plants had to pay the fine.
Trouble is the fine will be spread across the innocent tax-payer as usual, so it just becomes another way for us to put money into the EU coffers for them to waste.