EU sues Spain over non-compliance with urban waste water directive

The European Commission said on Wednesday it had sued Spain over the country's failure to comply with the urban wastewater directive, aimed at protecting the environment.

"The Commission's inquiries revealed a widespread failure to comply with the Directive's obligation in 133 agglomerations in Spain," the Commission said in a statement.

"Spain also needs to step up its efforts to ensure that wastewaters collected are sufficiently treated to meet the relevant treatment standards."