{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1986-278/article-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1986-278/article-2.json",
  "legislation": "eudr/1986/278",
  "legislation_title": "Council Directive of 12 June 1986 on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture (86/278/EEC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1986-278",
  "path": "article/2",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "For the purposes of this Directive:\n(a) ‘sludge’ means:\n(i) residual sludge from sewage plants treating domestic or urban waste waters and from other sewage plants treating waste waters of a composition similar to domestic and urban waste waters;\n(ii) residual sludge from septic tanks and other similar installations for the treatment of sewage;\n(iii) residual sludge from sewage plants other than those referred to in (i) and (ii);\n(b) ‘treated sludge’ means:\nsludge which has undergone biological, chemical or heat treatment, long-term storage or any other appropriate process so as significantly to reduce its fermentability and the health hazards resulting from its use;\n(c) ‘agriculture’ means:\nthe growing of all types of commercial food crops, including for stock-rearing purposes;\n(d) ‘use’ means:\nthe spreading of sludge on the soil or any other application of sludge on and in the soil.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/1986/278/article/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:23:34.077255+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}