2001/720/EC: Commission Decision of 8 October 2001 granting Portugal a derogation regarding urban waste water treatment for the agglomeration of the Estoril coast (notified under document number C(2001) 2657)
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
The request by Portugal of 16 June 1999 under Article 8(5) of Directive 91/271/EEC, to be permitted to provide, for the agglomeration of the Estoril coast, less stringent waste water treatment than that prescribed in Article 4 of that Directive is accepted under the conditions set out in Articles 2 to 6 of this Decision.
During the bathing season, defined by Portugal for the purposes of Directive 76/160/EEC as running from 1 June to 30 September, the urban waste water from the agglomeration of the Estoril coast shall, prior to discharge into the sea, be at least subject to advanced primary treatment and to a disinfection system in accordance with the requirements set out in heading 1 of the Annex of this Decision.
Outside the bathing season, the urban waste water from the agglomeration of the Estoril coast shall, prior to discharge, be at least subject to primary treatments defined by Article 2(7) of Directive 91/271/EEC.
The competent Portuguese authority or appropriate body shall monitor the discharge in accordance with the provisions set out in heading 2 of the Annex to this Decision.
Acting in accordance with Article 15(3) of Directive 91/271/EEC, Portugal shall monitor and carry out other relevant studies to verify that the discharge does not adversely affect the environment. In particular, at least twice a month during the bathing season, samples shall be taken in at least two well-defined points of the receiving waters, one point being located above the eastern diffuser of the discharge and the other one at 200 metres to the west of the western diffuser. At each of these two points, one sample shall be taken at surface level and another at middle depth: of these samples, 80 % shall contain not more than 100 faecal coliforms per 100 millilitres, the analysis being performed by a laboratory having a system of analytical quality control as specified in heading 2 of the Annex to this Decision.
By 30 April of each year, commencing on 30 April 2002, Portugal shall provide the Commission with a report containing the results of the monitoring carried out during the previous calendar year, according to the provisions of Articles 4 and 5, as well as the results of the monitoring for the same year of the bathing waters situated in the area of the Estoril coast agglomeration, according to the provisions of Directive 76/160/EEC. The report shall also include explanations of any failure to meet the requirements of this Decision or those of Directive 76/160/EEC.
During the year 2006, the Commission shall re-evaluate the situation and shall, if necessary, submit a proposal to the Committee set up under Article 18 of Directive 91/271/EEC, no later than 31 December 2006.
This Decision is addressed to the Portuguese Republic. Done at Brussels, 8 October 2001. For the Commission Margot Wallström Member of the Commission (1) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40. (2) OJ L 67, 7.3.1998, p. 29. (3) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976, p. 1.
1. Requirements for the discharge from the Estoril urban waste water treatment plant during the bathing season (Article 2) >TABLE> 2. Reference methods for monitoring and evaluation of results (Articles 4 and 5) - In order to monitor compliance with the requirements for biochemical oxygen demand, BOD 5, and total suspended solids, flow-proportional or time-based, 24-hours samples shall be collected, at least weekly, at the same well defined point in the outlet and in the inlet of the treatment plant. - The results will be evaluated according to the provisions of Annex I.D.4 to Directive 91/271/EEC. - In order to monitor compliance with the requirement for faecal coliforms, samples shall be collected at least weekly during the bathing season, during daytime maximum flow, at the same defined point in the outlet of the treatment plant. - The treated waste water shall be assumed to conform to this parameter if the geometric mean of the parametric values obtained during the bathing season does not exceed 2000/100 ml. - The analysis shall be carried out by laboratories which have a system of analytical quality control that is subject to regular monitoring by a person who is not under the control of the laboratory and who is approved by the competent authority for that purpose.
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