Alexandra Aragão - Galician Food Quality Agency – AGACAL, ES-PT

“Administrative common barriers blocking real implementation of environmental management system” is the Advice Case presented by the Galician Food Quality Agency – AGACAL in the context of the initiative b-solutions. The Agency received consultancy by Alexandra Aragão, a legal expert hired by the Association of the European Border Regions,  who analysed the hurdles preventing the re-use of water and sludge to fertilise vineyards in the framework of the Interreg project “Wetwine”.

In her report Aragão indicates that uncertainties arise especially because regulations on wastewater management and re-use at national level are currently undergoing many changes to adapt to the latest EU legal provisions.

If the Portuguese legislation seems to allow the methodology of water management developed within the project Wetwine, the French legal framework is still too vague and insufficient.

The solution proposed by the expert is to proceed with a revision and update of the current French law establishing clear requirement for the re-use of waste water in agriculture, following the example of Portugal.

Further indications might also be provided by upcoming EU regulations, as there is an ongoing discussion around the adoption of new rules.

More details are outlined in the full report available here.

The information here provided have been developed in the framework of b-solutions, an initiative of the European Comission’s DG REGIO managed by the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).

The reports here included are the result of a consultation provided by legal/cross-border cooperation experts on obstacles of a legal or administrative nature - referred to as Advice Cases - selected in the framework of the II Call for Proposals of the initiative b-solutions.