Nature & Enviroment 2003 – Theme: Water in Denmark

Nature & Environment 2003 – Theme: Water in Denmark

Foreword

Connie Hedegaard - Minister for the Environment

Connie Hedegaard
Minister for the Environment

Clean water is an important natural resource, and the quality of water is essential to people as well as nature. Clean water ranks highly on the Danish Government's environmental policy agenda. Of the total expenditure on environmental initiatives in Denmark, the actions relating to water account for approx. 25 per cent, or an annual approx. euro 1.3 billion.

Great efforts are being made to protect the aquatic environment against the spread of chemicals harmful to health and the environment. None of the wastewater from Danish wastewater treatment plants is discharged without prior treatment.

However, efforts to reduce runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus are still required in order to curb the problems of oxygen depletion in coastal marine waters.

Developments are, however, moving in the right direction. With the Action Plans for the Aquatic Environment I and II, agriculture's discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus have been reduced by 50 per cent. With the Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment III, we are continuing and expanding these efforts with requirements for further reductions in nitrogen discharges, and we are also taking the first steps towards reducing agricultural discharges of phosphorus, for example by establishing spray-free buffer zones along lakes and watercourses.

Research and development of new technology is another new focus area afforded high priority by the Action Plan III. In partnership with the agricultural sector, the Government has allocated approx. euro 20 million to research, for instance into the reduction of odour nuisances from livestock farming. Moreover, a separate research programme has been established, aiming at enhancing organic farming practices.

As regards both the scope of efforts and the depth and the commitment to overall objectives, the Action Plan III takes us an important step further towards the protection of our common asset.

Danish measures are targeted, and – in line with the EU Water Framework Directive – focus on areas where nature and the environment are in need. I am convinced that the Action Plan will improve protection of the aquatic environment in every one of the ten years over which the Plan is to run.