Nitrates

Objectives

The Nitrates Directive aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources that pollute ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices.

The Directive aims to reduce water pollution caused by nitrates used in agriculture by:

• Monitoring nitrate concentrations of water bodies
• Designating nitrate vulnerable zones
• Establishing codes of good agricultural practices and measures to prevent and reduce water pollution from nitrates

Law

The Nitrates Directive requires EU Member States to monitor the quality of waters and to identify areas that drain into polluted waters or at risk of pollution. These concern waters that due to agricultural activities are eutrophic or could contain a concentration of more than 50 mg/l of nitrates. Those areas are defined as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).

The Nitrates Directive forms an integral part of the overarching Water Framework Directive and is one of the key laws protecting waters against agricultural pressures.

Evaluation of the Directive

The Commission has launched a public consultation on the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. Interested parties such as farmers, industries, NGOs, citizens, public administrations, water authorities and others are invited to share their views until 8 March 2024. The evaluation will assess if the Nitrates Directive remains fit for purpose. Find out more about the evaluation.

On 19 April 2024 the Commission launched a public consultation lasting until 17 May on a Commission Directive amending Annex III of the Nitrates Directive.

Implementation

EU countries must:

Limit the application of nitrogen from manure

In areas already polluted by nitrates, the Directive prescribes that the highest amount of nitrogen from manure that can be applied annually is 170 kg/ha. At the request of EU Member States, and provided that they justify scientifically that this shall not lead to higher pollution, the Commission can adopt implementing Decisions (commonly referred to as derogations) that allow the application of higher maximum limits of nitrogen from manure in specific areas and under particular conditions. Such derogations do not exempt Member States from the water quality objectives of the Directive, nor from any other of its measures.

Derogations

Commission Decisions that allow for the application of more than 170 kg/ha of nitrogen from manure that are currently in force are listed below:

• Commission Implementing Decision granting a derogation on nitrates requested by Ireland (2025)

RENURE

• Commission Directive + Annex amending the Nitrates Directive as regards the use of certain fertilising materials from livestock manure

Note: The Commission adopted the Directive on 9 February 2026, but it will only enter into force upon publication in the Official Journal. 

Designate Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs)

• Areas of land that drain into polluted waters or waters at risk of pollution and which contribute to nitrate pollution; or
• EU Member States can also choose to apply measures (see below) to the whole territory (instead of designating NVZs)
• The current status of NVZs and whole territory designations can be viewed using the map viewer

Establish Codes of Good Agricultural Practice to be implemented by farmers on a voluntary basis, including

• Measures limiting the periods when nitrogen fertilisers can be applied on land to target application to periods when crops require nitrogen and prevent nutrient losses to waters
• Measures limiting the conditions for fertiliser application (on steeply sloping ground, frozen or snow-covered ground, near water courses, etc.) to prevent nitrate losses from leaching and run-off
• Requirement for a minimum storage capacity for livestock manure; and
• Crop rotations, soil winter cover and catch crops to prevent nitrate leaching and run-off during wet seasons

Establish action programmes to be implemented by farmers within NVZs on a compulsory basis, including

• Measures already included in Codes of Good Agricultural Practice that become mandatory in NVZs; and
• Other measures, such as limitation of fertiliser application (mineral and organic), taking into account crop needs, all nitrogen inputs and soil nitrogen supply, maximum amount of livestock manure to be applied (corresponding to 170 kg nitrogen/ha/year);
• Recommendations for establishing action programmes are available for each type of measure to be included in action programmes, according to the pedoclimatic region in Europe, so as to minimise the risk of water pollution.
• The Action Programmes need to be revised at least every four years. National action programmes under the Nitrates Directive are accessible in the NAPINFO database.

Identify polluted water, or waters at risk of pollution

• Surface freshwaters, in particular those used or intended for the abstraction of drinking water, containing or that could contain (if no action is taken to reverse the trend) a concentration of more than 50 mg/l of nitrates
• Groundwater containing or that could contain (if no action is taken to reverse the trend) more than 50 mg/l of nitrates
• Freshwater bodies, estuaries, coastal waters and marine waters found to be eutrophic or that could become eutrophic (if no action is taken to reverse the trend)

Monitoring and Reporting

Every four years, EU Member States are required to report on:

• Nitrate concentrations in groundwaters and surface waters
• Eutrophication of surface waters
• Assessment of the impact of (an) action programme(s) on water quality and agricultural practices
• Revision of NVZs and (an) action programme(s)
• Estimation of future trends in water quality

These four-yearly reports produced by Member States are used as the basis for a four-yearly report by the European Commission on the implementation of the Directive.