On Thursday 18 July 2024, the penalty payment that the Flemish government is required to pay due to nitrate pollution in Flemish surface waters came into effect. The penalty payment amounts to €1,000 per day and is capped at €1,000,000.
The reason for the penalty payment is the judgement of 21 June 2023 by the Court of First Instance in Brussels. Following a complaint by Natuurpunt, Greenpeace, WWF, BBL and Dryade, the Flemish government was found liable for nitrate levels exceeding the limits in surface water. These exceedances are the result of over-fertilisation.
The Flemish Government was given six months to take measures to resolve the nitrate problem. As the Flemish Government failed to take action, the environmental organisations went to court again to secure a penalty payment. That penalty payment has since been served and has come into effect.