Brussels is suing Portugal (again) over its failure to treat waste water.
Claiming the slip affects more than 100,000 people, the European Commission says it poses a risk to public health.
Reported to be “preparing a new action against Portugal”, this is the third time that the country has been hauled up for its waste water treatment record – but MAOTE (the Ministry of the Environment, Territorial Planning and Energy) is not taking the criticism lying down.
Portugal has made “important advances” since coming under EC scrutiny, claims a communiqué.
In 2009, there were as many as 186 communities without proper waste water treatment. Now there are only 53.
While a report in ionline suggests that 25 of these communities “don’t even have a project” in hand for water treatment work, MAOTE’s statement claims otherwise.
Nonetheless, MAOTE refused a call from Left Bloc MPs last week to divulge the list of communities with public health risks.
