21.9.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 274/10

(Case C-395/13)

2013/C 274/18

Language of the case: French

Parties

Applicant: European Commission (represented by: O. Beynet and E. Manhaeve, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Kingdom of Belgium

Form of order sought

—declare that, by failing to make provision for the collection and treatment of urban waste water in 57 agglomerations with a population equivalent of more than 2 000 and less than 10 000, the Kingdom of Belgium has failed to fulfil its obligations under Articles 3 and 4 of Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment; (1)

—order the Kingdom of Belgium to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

By its application, the Commission claims that the Kingdom of Belgium has failed to implement correctly, in 57 agglomerations, Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment.

Article 3(1) and Article 4(1) of Directive 91/271/EEC required agglomerations with a population equivalent (p.e.) between 2 000 and 10 000 to be provided with collecting systems at the latest by 31 December 2005.

As regards urban waste water treatment obligations, Article 4(1) of the directive requires the Member States to ensure that waste water entering collecting systems is subject to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment before being discharged.

Lastly, the control procedures laid down in Annex I D to the directive make it possible to ascertain whether discharges from urban waste water treatment plants comply with the requirements of the directive pertaining to the discharge of waste water.

(1) OJ 1991 L 135, p. 40.

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Language of the case: French