Ministerial Joint Decree No. 16190/1335 establishing protective measures for waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, in compliance with Council Directive 91/676/EEC.

The Decree aims at implementing the provisions of articles 10 and 11 (paragraph 3) of Law No. 1650/86 “on the protection for the environment”. It also aims at harmonizing the Greek legislative frame with the provisions of Council Directive 91/676/EEC for the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, so as to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in order to reduce water pollution caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources, to prevent further pollution of this kind and to achieve a better environmental protection. The Decree is composed as follows: objective (art. 1); definitions (nitrogen compound, livestock manure, vulnerable zone, etc.) (art. 2); establishment of codes of good agricultural practice (art. 3); designation of vulnerable zones (art. 4); establishment of action programmes (art. 5); report to the European Commission (art. 6); sanctions (art. 7); annexes (art. 8); final provisions (arts. 9-10); entry into force (art. 11). Five Annexes included in the text constitute integral part of this Decree: Annex I, Criteria for identifying waters referred to in article 4 (1); Annex II, Code(s) of good agricultural practice; Annex III, Measures to be included in action programmes as referred to in article 5 (4) (a); Annex IV, Reference methods of measurement; Annex V, Information to be contained in reports to in article 6.

Implements: Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. (1991-12-12)
Amended by: Ministerial Joint Decree No. 19652/1906 on waters affected by nitrate pollution deriving from agricultural sources – Catalogue of vulnerable zones and amendment of Ministerial Decree No. 16190-1335 of 1997. (1999-07-22)