Nitrates Directive

Directive 91/676/EEC, commonly referred to as the "Nitrates Directive", stands as the cornerstone of European regulation safeguarding waters against agricultural nitrate pollution. Adopted on 12 December 1991, its purpose is to cut existing contamination and stop further pollution from occurring^[1][2]. Its scope encompasses freshwater, coastal and marine waters, with standardised measurement approaches for nitrogenous fertilisers and nitrate concentrations^[3]. This directive forms part of a wider legislative framework that includes the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and the European regulation on fertilising products^[4].

Obligations of Member States

Member States are required to identify nitrate vulnerable zones, draw up codes of good agricultural practice, and put action programmes into effect. These programmes feature closed periods for fertiliser application, ceilings on nitrogen from livestock manure, and rules governing the storage of animal effluents. The directive also lays down provisions on catch crops and the management of mineral fertilisers. Methods for analysing nitrogen compounds in chemical fertilisers refer back to Directive 77/535/EEC^[3].

Agronomic context and products concerned

Nitrate-based fertilisers, chiefly ammonium nitrate (AN, containing 33.5% N) and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN, with 27% N), account for a sizeable share of nitrogen consumption in Europe. Global nitrate output reached 19.1 Mt of nitrogen in 2023, comprising 15.6 Mt as AN and 3.5 Mt as CAN/MAN^[5]. Over the decade 2013-2023, the compound annual growth rate for this production stood at zero per cent^[5]. Within the European Union, nitrates made up 19% of nitrogenous fertiliser consumption in 2021, compared with 49% for urea and 15% for UAN solutions^[6].

Europe's preference for nitrates stems from their agronomic properties: nitrate nitrogen is taken up directly by plants, which lessens losses through ammonia volatilisation relative to ureic or ammoniacal nitrogen. Trials conducted in Brazil on coffee plants demonstrated higher yields with AN than with urea (3.29 t/ha versus 2.31 t/ha) and increased crop value (USD 9,215/ha versus USD 6,461/ha)^[7][8]. These benefits become more pronounced in tropical climates^[7][8].

Implications for the fertiliser market

The Nitrates Directive heavily shapes the European nitrogenous fertiliser market. The comparatively low nitrogen content of nitrates (27-34%) makes them less appealing for long-haul carriage than urea (46% N), thereby strengthening the rationale for regional manufacturing^[5][9]. Europe thus constitutes a market of choice for nitrates, whilst urea dominates international trade.

The technical nitrates sector (TAN, Technical Ammonium Nitrate) represents a significant non-fertiliser outlet, with Asia and Australia being the main growth markets^[9]. Yara positions itself as the largest independent supplier of technical nitrates to the civil explosives industry^[9].

A reference technical document on large-volume chemical industries indicated, at the time of its drafting, that AN and CAN manufacturing units delivered daily tonnages ranging from a few hundred up to 3,600 tonnes^[10]. The same document noted that CAN was then the most widely applied fertiliser product in Western Europe^[10].