{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1991-271/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1991-271/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudr/1991/271",
  "legislation_title": "Council Directive of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment (91/271/EEC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1991-271",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Directive\nof 21 May 1991\nconcerning urban waste water treatment\n(91/271/EEC)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular 130s thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,\nWhereas the Council Resolution of 28 June 1988 on the protection of the North Sea and of other waters in the Community invited the Commission to submit proposals for measures required at Community level for the treatment of urban waste water;\nWhereas pollution due to insufficient treatment of waste water in one Member State often influences other Member States' waters; whereas in accordance with Article 130r, action at Community level is necessary;\nWhereas to prevent the environment from being adversely affected by the disposal of insufficiently-treated urban waste water, there is a general need for secondary treatment of urban waste water;\nWhereas it is necessary in sensitive areas to require more stringent treatment; whereas in some less sensitive areas a primary treatment could be considered appropriate;\nWhereas industrial waste water entering collecting systems as well as the discharge of waste water and disposal of sludge from urban waste water treatment plants should be subject to general rules or regulations and/or specific authorizations;\nWhereas discharges from certain industrial sectors of biodegradable industrial waste water not entering urban waste water treatment plants before discharge to receiving waters should be subject to appropriate requirements;\nWhereas the recycling of sludge arising from waste water treatment should be encouraged; whereas the disposal of sludge to surface waters should be phased out;\nWhereas it is necessary to monitor treatment plants, receiving waters and the disposal of sludge to ensure that the environment is protected from the adverse effects of the discharge of waste waters;\nWhereas it is important to ensure that information on the disposal of waste water and sludge is made available to the public in the form of periodic reports;\nWhereas Member States should establish and present to the Commission national programmes for the implementation of this Directive;\nWhereas a Committee should be established to assist the Commission on matters relating to the implementation of this Directive and to its adaptation to technical progress,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ No C 1, 4.1.1990, p. 20 and OJ No C 287, 15.11.1990, p. 11."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "OJ No C 260, 15.10.1990, p. 185."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ No C 168, 10.7.1990, p. 36."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "OJ No C 209, 9.8.1988, p. 3."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/1991/271/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:23:25.830639+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."
}