Water and agricultural pollution

Helle Tegner Anker

Chapter 24 in Research Handbook on EU Water Law, 2026, pp 422-442 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The regulation of agricultural pollution is characterized by a high level of complexity and a multi-layered institutional setting. The core source of fertilizer and pesticide application interacts with cultivation and land management practices, as well as with natural conditions related to soil, hydrology, climate and the ecological sensitivity of the aquatic environment. There is no ‘quick fix’, but rather a need for an appropriate mix of regulatory instruments that are suitable to address this complexity. This chapter looks into the key characteristics of and the core challenges in the regulation of agricultural nitrate and pesticide pollution with a particular emphasis on EU legislation, but it also draws on Danish experiences. It concludes that there is a continuous need to regulate the use of fertilizers and pesticides through appropriate measures, including mandatory requirements. In particular for nutrients, but also for pesticides, there is a need to differentiate or tailor regulation to meet the site-specific ecological demands of water bodies and the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive. While the Nitrates Directive focuses on mandatory standards, at least in nitrate vulnerable zones, and on the need for additional measures, the Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides is vaguer. Yet, the EU Common Agricultural Policy may have unfulfilled potential.

Keywords: Agricultural pollution; Nitrates; Pesticides; Water framework directive; Regulatory instruments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035336425
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