The water quality of Luxembourg's streams and rivers is considered poor and the government has not done enough to address the issue, argued The Greens MP Joëlle Welfring during a debate in the Chamber on Thursday.
The Grand Duchy risks being fined by the European Union as it will not meet its targets for next year, as laid out by the EU water framework directive from 2000. In the past Luxembourg has had to pay 6 million euros in fines for failing to comply with EU wastewater regulations.
Welfring criticised the government for not taking sufficient action against pesticide pollution through agriculture.
"According to interviews, neither the agriculture minister nor the environment minister have any intention of relying on additional binding rules, but instead on voluntary measures."
She continues: "Curiously, all my proposals to expand financial support for farmers in the sense of improving water protection have been blocked by the Minister of Agriculture. One example of these, a measure which all experts agree on, is the creation of a buffer zone alongside streams, a clear strip of land which is not cultivated."
There is a subsidy for this already, but it is too low.
In response to Welfring, environment minister Serge Wilmes offered a rebuttal to the criticism.
"It is incorrect that these subsidies for buffer zones are not being raised. In fact, no later than next week, a Grand Ducal regulation will be adopted which will see biodiversity grants increased for these buffer zones alongside the riverbanks."
Currently the authorities are in the process of working out a fourth water management plan. Wilmes hopes that Luxembourg will thus be able to evade paying any fines to the EU.
