The European Commission warned this Thursday that the United Kingdom could breach the Brexit deal during a meeting of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Commission.
The country’s discharge of untreated sewage into the English Channel is problematic. “We are very concerned about these uncontrolled discharges and their potential impacts on the marine environment and fisheries,” a spokesperson for the social executive told MEPs, as quoted by ‘Euractiv’.
Even though the United Kingdom is no longer a member state of the European Union or subject to EU environmental laws, the same source recalls that when the Brexit deal was signed, London promised “not to reduce the level of environmental protection policy”. It was in force at the time of withdrawal from the European Union.
This commitment is reflected in the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation signed in 2020 to facilitate trade relations between London and Brussels, and falls within the broader scope of the Brexit deal.
Currently, wastewater treatment plants can legally discharge untreated water into oceans and rivers if reservoirs are full or at risk of overflowing due to rain.
However, with the UK facing one of its hottest summers ever, high temperatures and a period of drought, the outflows observed now are unlikely to find any legal footing.
The UK’s environment agency Euractiv says untreated sewage discharges have doubled in recent years due to budget cuts.
The situation has already led to the closure of many British beaches, with warnings against bathing in the sea due to poor water quality and risks to human health. However, London denies that it is in breach of agreements with the EU.
Last week, three French MEPs wrote a letter to the Commission asking it to set up legal mechanisms to stop the discharge, arguing that the practice kills fish populations and damages marine ecosystems.
Earlier this week, the British government pledged to require wastewater management companies to treat wastewater before discharging it into the sea or rivers.
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