The court ruled in March 2019 that Ireland had breached the requirements of the EU’s Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Directive 91/271/EEC), which has been in force since the end of 2005.

The European Commission is asking the court to impose financial sanctions on Ireland for allegedly failing to comply with the judgment more than six years later.

Ireland was found to have breached the requirements of the Directive in 28 agglomerations.

The Commission says Ireland has made progress in resolving issues of compliance in 20 of the agglomerations, but eight agglomerations remain in breach.

In six agglomerations, Ireland has allegedly failed to ensure that overflows from urban waste water collecting systems are sufficiently controlled and appropriately treated.

In two further agglomerations, Ireland has allegedly failed to ensure that the urban waste water that enters the collecting systems are subject, before discharge, to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment.

Furthermore, in one agglomeration, the urban waste water is allegedly discharged to a sensitive area without being subject to a more stringent treatment.

The Commission sent Ireland a letter of formal notice under Article 260(2) TFEU on 14 November 2024.

“The Commission considers that efforts by the Irish authorities have, to date, been insufficient to comply with the first judgment and is therefore referring Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a second time, with a request to impose financial sanctions,” it said in a statement.