B-WaterSmart Policy Brief - Nutrient Recovery for Agriculture

The European Union (EU) has set an ambitious goal to reduce nutrient losses to the environment (air, water, soil) by 50% by 2030. This reduction aims to address the impact of nutrient pollution on ecosystems and human health, and manage nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) better throughout their lifecycle across all sectors. Two key EU policies that influence nutrients recovery and management include the Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan (INMAP)1 and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The INMAP was announced during the publication of this policy brief in 2022 but is yet to be published and operationalized. The INMAP is a comprehensive strategy to improve nutrient management, enhance agricultural practices, and protect the environment. Its implementation will contribute to achieving the EU’s Net Zero target and ensuring sustainable agriculture and pollution reduction. The revision of the EU’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) has recently been adopted by the European Parliament and awaits formal approval by the Council of the European Union before entering into force. The revision entails changes regarding the way wastewater utilities will have to recover and reuse nutrients from wastewater and sludge2 including for agriculture. Over 90% of urban wastewater currently meets EU standards but the revision aims to make the wastewater sector energy-neutral, promote water reuse, and utilize sludge for biogas and agriculture production. Under the principles of circular economy, “The Commission will develop an Integrated Nutrient Management Plan, with a view to ensuring more sustainable application of nutrients and stimulating the markets for recovered nutrients. The Commission will also consider reviewing directives on wastewater treatment and sewage sludge and will assess natural means of nutrient removal such as algae3.” This policy brief looks at the challenges and opportunities of
realising the ambitious target enshrined in both the above policies and provides policy recommendations to stakeholders involved in the implementation process at the EU and national levels. It draws on insights from the EU Horizon 2020 project B-WaterSmart (grant agreement No. 869171), which explores different wastewaterto- agriculture solutions, focusing on Living Labs (LLs) in Spain and Italy and by exploring other ongoing practices within the EU outside the LLs.