Britain’s ‘uncontrolled’ sewage dumps may breach Brexit deal, warns EU

Brussels official says UK has ‘non-regression obligation’ to protect waters as part of trade deal

Britain’s “uncontrolled” dumping of sewage in the English Channel and North Sea could breach the terms of Brexit deal, the EU has warned.

French MEPs have previously complained about the dumping of sewage by UK water companies and asked Brussels to investigate whether they break rules in the Brexit trade deal.

A senior official at the European Commission has now revealed that there are concerns about the sewage problems – warning that the trade deal covers “protection and preservation of the marine environment”.

Veronica Manfredi from the Commission’s environment department told MEPs there was “deep concern regarding these [UK] uncontrolled discharges and their possible effects on the marine environment and on fisheries”.

Speaking to the European parliament’s fisheries committee, she said: “Waste water pollution can also threaten human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood.”

And in a hint the Commission was considering legal action, Ms Manfredi pointed to part of the Brexit trade deal which “makes it clear this non-regression obligation covers the protection and preservation of the marine environment”.

Last week three French MEPs close to president Emmanuel Macron accused the UK of neglecting its commitments with sewage pollution in the English Channel and the North Sea.

“We can’t tolerate that the environment, the economic activity of our fishermen and the health of our citizens are put in danger,” said Stephanie Yon-Courtin. “The Channel and the North Sea are not dumping grounds.”

And Nathalie Loiseau – president of the delegation to the EU-UK parliamentary partnership assembly – claimed UK had violated the principle of “non-regression” on environmental protection levels agreed to in the trade deal.

A Defra spokesperson said it was “simply not true that we have exempted ourselves of strict targets on water quality”.

The spokesperson added: “The Environment Act has made our laws even stronger on water quality than when we were in the EU, from targets to tackle nutrient pollution to new powers to tackle harmful substances in our waters.”

It follows growing outrage over sewage spills, with public warnings of pollution at more than 50 beaches around Britain after water companies discharged sewage into the sea.

The 11 largest companies monitored by regulator Ofwat are together facing tens of millions of pounds in financial penalties for last year’s failings amid growing anger over pollution.

Boris Johnson’s government last week unveiled a plan to tackle the sewage spill crisis with targets for water companies to make improvements – quickly branded a “cruel joke” and a “licence to pollute” by the opposition.

Firms will also have to improve how they manage all the sewage overflows discharging next to bathing water by 2035, and improve 75 per cent of the overflows at top nature sites.

Defra claimed to be introducing the “strictest targets ever”, but Labour branded the plan weak and said it would not stop water companies treating Britain’s beaches and rivers like “an open sewer”.

The Liberal Democrats estimated that by 2030 there will still be 325,000 sewage dumps a year in Britain’s waterways under the “flimsy” new plan, only a slight reduction on current levels.