Brussels, 19 September 2025 – Today’s vote by Member States in the EU Nitrates Committee to approve the use of processed manure (so-called “RENURE”) above existing nitrogen limits marks a troubling step backward for Europe’s environmental and water protection goals.

Despite years of evidence showing the urgent need to reduce agricultural pollution, a majority of Member States have now backed a proposal – driven by pressure from the Netherlands – that effectively weakens one of the EU’s core water protection laws: the Nitrates Directive.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) strongly criticises this decision, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent by changing fundamental rules under the guise of technical adaptation. The nitrogen limit of 170 kg per hectare is a key environmental safeguard, and allowing processed manure to bypass this threshold undermines the Directive’s purpose.

Sara Johansson, Senior Policy Officer for Water Pollution Prevention, European Environmental Bureau, said:

By endorsing the Commission’s ad-hoc move to allow the application of processed manure above current limits, the Nitrates Committee ignore science and processes for good law-making. This is a clear give-in to the Netherlands and will only make the attainment of good water quality more difficult to reach.

A rushed, flawed process that ignores science and due diligence

Even more worryingly, the Commission proposed the change without conducting a proper impact assessment and before completing the ongoing evaluation (fitness check) of the Nitrates Directive. Ignoring due process severely undermines transparent and evidence-based policymaking – a key pillar of EU democracy.

The move comes mainly to address the Netherlands’ livestock manure surplus, as the country’s long-standing derogation from the Directive’s nitrogen limits is due to expire. Rather than reducing livestock numbers or transitioning toward more sustainable practices, this vote allows more manure to be spread – exacerbating nutrient pollution and threatening the EU’s own targets to halve nutrient losses by 2030.

This change also flies in the face of the EU’s own scientific bodies, which have repeatedly warned that to cut nutrient pollution in half by 2030 – a key EU target – a transition to agroecological practices and more sustainable, less intensive livestock farming is needed.

What’s next?

The vote reflects efforts by the Dutch government to avoid scaling down its livestock sector. Rather than facing the root of the problem – chronic overproduction of manure – this vote attempts to bend EU law to support an unsustainable and harmful agricultural model.

The decision now moves to the European Parliament and Council for formal approval. The EEB urges both institutions to object to this shortcut and stand up for strong, science-based policy that protects both people and the planet – and the future of farming itself.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• 81% of marine waters, and more than 30% of rivers, lakes and coastal waters are reported as eutrophic. The vast majority of excess nitrogen in EU waters comes from livestock production.
• The EU, in the Biodiversity Strategy, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, has set the goal to cut nutrient losses to the environment in half by 2030,
• Modelling by the Joint Research Centre, shows that measures under existing legislation can reduce nutrient losses to water by 30%. A transition to agro-ecological practices and a change of diets are needed to achieve the objective of reducing nutrient losses by 50%.
• The European Commission has made use of Article 8 of the Nitrates Directive that allows the Commission to amend non-essential elements of the Directive to adapt it to scientific and technical progress. The EEB regards the 170 kg manure threshold to be an essential element of the Directive.