Germany is being taken to the European Court of Justice over alleged contraventions of water pollution laws in some of its agricultural practices.
The suit, filed by the European Commission last week, holds that Germany failed to control the use of nitrate in farming when German official data in 2012 revealed that too high a level of the chemical had entered its ground water, according to a report by German public broadcaster WDR.
EU regulations address the presence of nitrate in the water table and call on countries to tighten controls on its use when illegal levels enter the water systems.
Nitrate is a component in a number of fertilizers used by farmers. In high doses, however, the chemical can be toxic to both plant and animal life.
Since the 2012 finding, levels of nitrate may be even higher due to lack of intervention, the suit alleges.
France is already facing a fine of €3 billion on similar charges. If Germany is found to have been negligent in environmental standards, it too may have a large fine to pay.
