MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 539: Rapport for perioden 2016-2019 i forhold til nitratdirektivets artikel 10.

Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2020-21
MOF Alm.del Bilag 539
Offentligt

Status and trends

of the aquatic

environment

and

agricultural practice

in Denmark

Report to the European Commission

for the period 2016-2019 in accordance

with article 10 of the Nitrates Directive

(1991/676/EEC)

March 2021

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Editor: The ministry of Environment of Denmark

Authors/responsible institutions of the different chapters of

this report can be found under the heading to the respective

sections. Where no one is mentioned it is the Ministry of Envi-

ronment of Denmark

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Content

3.1

3.1.1

3.1.2

3.1.3

3.1.4

3.1.5

3.2

3.2.1

3.2.2

3.2.3

3.2.4

3.3

3.3.1

3.3.2

3.3.3

3.3.4

3.3.5

3.4

3.4.1

3.4.2

3.4.3

3.4.4

Introduction

Summary

Water quality: assessment and maps

Surface water: watercourses

Presentation of monitoring stations

Status for nitrate concentrations

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Indicators for eutrophication in Danish water courses

Ecological state

Surface water: Lakes

Presentation of monitoring stations

Status for nitrate concentrations

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Eutrophication status and trend

Surface water: Estuarine, coastal and marine waters

Presentation of monitoring stations

Status for nitrate concentrations

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Eutrophication status and development

Ecological State

Groundwater

Presentation of monitoring network

Status for nitrate concentrations

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Improved interpretation of nitrate concentration trends by groundwater dating

Revision of the Vulnerable Zones

Development, promotion and implementation of code of good practice

Principle measures applied in the Action programme

Evaluation of the implementation and impact of the action programme’s

measures

7.1

Data concerning the territory of Denmark

7.2

Nitrogen discharges to the aquatic environment

7.3

Evaluation of the implementation and impact of the action programmes’ measures 60

7.3.1

Nitrates in water leaving the root zone

7.3.2

Difference between input and output of nitrogen

7.4

Percentage of farmers visited by the supervising authorities or their delegates

Economic analysis with respect to nitrogen reduction in Denmark 2016-2019 69

8.1 Higher nitrogen norms and economic gains

8.2 Collective measures

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8.3 Measures related to Greening and the CAP

8.4 Targeted regulation

8.5 Conclusion

Forecast of the future evolution of the water body quality

Appendices:

Appendix 1: Removed station water courses

Appendix 2: Removed station lakes

Appendix 3: Removed stations groundwater

Appendix 4: Groundwater depths

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1. Introduction

Council Directive 91/676/EEC aims to protect waters against pollution caused or induced by nitrates

from agricultural sources.

According to Article 10 in the Nitrates Directive Member States shall, in respect of the four-year period

following the notification of this Directive and in respect of each subsequent four-year period, submit a

report to the Commission containing the information outlined in the Directives Annex V.

The aim of the present report is to give a status and trend in the aquatic environment and agricultural

practice, compared to previous reporting period and as well evaluate the impact of the action pro-

gramme.

On the basis of the information received pursuant to Article 10, the Commission shall publish sum-

mary reports and shall inform the European Parliament and the Council on the state of the implemen-

tation of the Nitrates Directive, in accordance with article 11. The summery report will be based on

the information submitted by Member States referring to the period 2016-2019 and is accompanied by

aggregated maps of nutrient pressures from agricultural sources, of water quality and of designated

nitrate vulnerable zones.

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2. Summary

Watercourses

Long-term time series and statistical trend tests show that there have been significant reductions in

both flow-weighted nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations since 1989.

Changes in flow-weighted nitrate concentrations between the previous period (2012-2015) and cur-

rent period (2016-2019) show that in 60 % of the watercourses, the concentrations are unchanged,

there is an increase in 31 % of the watercourses, and in 9 % of the watercourses shows a weak or

strong reduction in the flow-weighted annual average NO

-concentration. In the previous reporting,

most monitoring stations had reduced nitrate concentrations compared to the previous period. In the

reporting, changes have been smaller and in both directions. This should primarily be seen as ran-

dom effects.

Lakes

In general, annual average nitrate concentrations are low – compared to the Nitrates Directive limit on

50 mg/l: 65% of the lakes have an annual mean concentration less than 2 mg NO

/l.

Despite the nitrate concentrations are influenced by climatic conditions (such as precipitation), there

are no changes from the 6

and 7

period for the majority of lakes. The concentration levels are sta-

ble in 75% of the monitored lakes. The annual average nitrate concentrations in the 7

period (2016-

2019) in Danish lakes range from 0.14-19.0 mg NO

/l with an average of 3.2 mg NO

/l.

Winter average concentrations are generally higher than the annual average concentrations (19 out of

20 lakes) and vary between 0.1 and 30.5 mg NO

/l with an average of 4.3 mg NO

/l. This is due to

higher loading, low primary production and less denitrification during winter. The maximum concentra-

tions varies between 0.2 and 70.8 mg NO

/l. One lake had a maximum concentration above 50 mg

/l.

Estuarine, coastal and marine waters

During the 7

period (2016-2019) the highest average NO

winter concentrations were observed in

the estuaries with a maximum average concentration of 12.2 mg NO

/l and with the lowest concen-

trations monitored in the marine open waters, where the average NO

concentration did not exceed

1.0 mg NO

/l.

Surface water nitrate concentrations in estuarine, coastal and marine open waters are generally much

lower than observed in groundwater and fresh water systems. Therefore, trends between previous

monitoring periods (i.e. 2

and 6

period) and this 7

period have been estimated by a statistical ap-

proach rather than by use of absolute concentrations.

For annual averages, long-term trends (difference between 2016-2019 and 1996-1999) and short-

term trends (difference between 2016-2019 and 2012-2015) can be calculated for 37 and 51 stations,

respectively. For long-term trends (annual averages), concentrations are stable at 27 stations and sig-

nificantly decrease at 10 stations. For short-term trends (annual averages), the concentrations are

stable at 47 stations, significantly decreasing at 2 stations and very significantly decreasing at 2 sta-

tions.

For winter averages, long-term trends and short-term trends can be calculated for 55 and 69 stations,

respectively. For long-term trends (winter averages), concentrations are stable at 38 stations, signifi-

cantly decreasing at 5 stations, very significantly decreasing at 4 stations, significantly increasing at 6

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stations and very significantly increasing at 2 stations. For short-term trends (winter averages), con-

centrations are stable at 63 stations, significantly decreasing at 3 stations and very significantly de-

creasing at 3 stations, and there are no stations with significant increases

Groundwater

The Danish groundwater-monitoring programme was originally designed to monitor recent groundwa-

ter recharged after approx. 1940. Implementation of the Water Framework Directive has required ad-

justments of the groundwater-monitoring network and thus some monitoring points used for previous

reporting period are closed and new established during the last reporting periods. The adjustment of

the monitoring network was finalised in 2019. Over the last 12 years, i.e. over the last three reporting

periods, groundwater from in total 1.623 monitoring points have been analysed for nitrate over time

and of those 929 points are common for the three periods (2008-2011, 2012-2015 & 2016-2019).

When comparing the average nitrate concentrations of 1105 monitoring points that are common for

the latest two reporting periods (2012-2015 & 2016-2019), decreasing groundwater nitrate concentra-

tions (31.3 %) can be found in more monitoring points than increasing concentrations (18.3 %) while

no trend can be observed at 50.4 % of the monitoring points. The major part (about 80 %) of the mon-

itoring points have an average nitrate concentration below 40 mg/l, as shown in figure 3.18, where the

distribution of the average nitrate concentrations in all monitoring points (2016-2019) is illustrated. In

general, both increasing and decreasing trends can be found all over the country.

Groundwater from a large number of monitoring points has been dated with CFC (chlorofluorocarbon)

and tritium/helium, where possible. These data have been used to assess the general nitrate trend in

oxic groundwater in Denmark (Figure 3.23, Hansen et al., 2017). The results indicate an overall de-

creasing nitrate trend in Danish oxic groundwater during the last almost 30 years, which can be as-

signed to reduced nitrate leaching from Danish agricultural activities since the 1980ies. The overall

trend in regard to reducing the groundwater nitrate content is generally positive, but several locations

still record increases (Figure 8, Hansen et al., 2017). This includes some of the most recently created

groundwater, which was formed after the water environment action plans came into force. The latest

monitoring data on the development of nitrate in oxic groundwater indicate that the nitrate content in

the youngest groundwater remains stable. (Thorling et al, 2019).

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Denmark is, according to Article 3 (5), exempt from the obligation to identify specific vulnerable

zones, as Denmark has established and applied the action programme throughout the whole national

territory.

Code of good practice

Measures according to code of good practice pursuant to the Nitrates Directive, annex II, are included

in the Nitrate Action Programme as mandatory measures equivalent to the measures included in the

programme pursuant to the directive, annex III. Description of the measures according to code of

good practice is therefore included in the description of the Nitrates Action Programme.

Nitrates Action Programme

An overview of the implementation of Annex II and Annex III of the Nitrates Directive as mandatory

measures in the Danish Nitrate Action Programme in 2019 is given in chapter 6 of this report. The

specific measures are described for each litra in the directive, annex II and annex III and measures

according to the directive art. 5 (5), respectively.

The overview of the implementation of the Nitrates Directive as described in the Nitrates Action Pro-

gramme is given of the legal texts valid by the end of 2019. Changes in the implementation of the di-

rective during the reporting period are described for each element in the overview. In general, it has

primarily been technical changes that have been amended to the programme during 2016-2019. In

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2017 the “targeted catch crops scheme” was introduced to reduce N-losses through promoting the

establishment of additional catch crops for the years 2017-2019. The scheme was designed to protect

both groundwater bodies and coastal waters.

Evaluation of the implementation and impact of the action programmes’ measures

The amount of Nitrogen, which has been discharged to the sea in the years 2016 to 2018, was within

a similar range as in the previous reporting period. Seen relative to the distribution of the main soil

types in Denmark, the modelled nitrate leaching decreased by 43% during the period 1991 to 2003

due to the general improvement in agriculture and fertilization practises. After 2003, there was a small

increase in nitrate leaching, particularly on sandy soils, probably caused by suspension of the set

aside obligation. For the loamy catchments, the modelled annual nitrate leaching was less affected by

the change in set aside. The nitrate leaching was relatively stable around 50 kg N ha

-1

during 2003-

2013, decreasing with app. 8 kg N ha

-1

in 2014 and 2015 and increasing again to the level of 2003-

2013 in 2016-2018. For the sandy catchments, the annual leaching of 81 kg N ha

-1

in 2003 was rela-

tively low. After this year, the leaching increased to an interval of 83-93 kg N ha

-1

in the period 2004-

2014, but decreased to a lower level than in 2003, being in the interval of 77-79 kg N ha

-1

in 2015-

2018.

In the Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme (LOOP) on loamy catchments, the measured

nitrate concentrations in the upper oxic groundwater decreased from 41-46 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year

period 1990/91-1994/95 to 28-31 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 2013/14-2017/18. On sandy catch-

ments, the nitrate concentration decreased from 87-110 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 1990/91-

1994/95 to 58-77 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 2013/14-2017/18.

The annual nitrogen surplus in the national field balance (added minus harvested) has fallen: from ap-

prox. 405.000 tons N in 1990 to 265.400 tons N in 2018, which corresponds to a reduction by 34%. In

2018, the surplus is higher than normal because of the drought causing low yield. The most signifi-

cant reduction could be observed until 2003

Control and inspection

In the planning period 2016/2017, the Danish Agricultural Agency carried out 121 inspections on the

spot, 1.7 % were reported to the police for severe violations and 0.8 % receives an administrative fine

for a severe violation of the provisions on rational fertilizer use. This share illustrates a decrease in

farms with severe violations, compared to the previous data from 2014 (9.6 %).

The vast majority of all Danish farmers must submit data to the Fertilizer Accounting system each

year, which is administrated by the Danish Agricultural Agency. For the planning period 2016/2017,

35.866 farmers were obliged to submit a fertilizer account. The administrative control of 586 fertiliza-

tion accounts showed that 5.8 % exceeded the farms nitrogen quota by up to 6 kg N per hectare and

they received a recommendation. 6.1 % exceeded the farms nitrogen quota from 6 kg N and up to 9

kg N per hectare and they received a reprimand. 2.6 % exceeded the farms nitrogen quota by 9 kg N

or more per hectare and they received an administrative fine. 2.0 % exceeded the farms nitrogen

quota by 9 kg N or more per hectare and they were reported to the police. The same 586 farms were

also controlled regarding the amount of livestock manure applied to land each year (harmony rules).

4.1 % were reported to the police for severe violations of the harmony rules. 3.8% are still under in-

vestigation.

In 2017 the “targeted catch crops scheme” was introduced to reduce N-losses through promoting the

establishment of additional catch crops for the years 2017-2019. In 2019 a total of 235 on-site inspec-

tions on catch crops was carried out involving three national schemes on catch crops: Mandatory

catch crops, livestock catch crops and the targeted nitrogen regulation (targeted catch crops). In the

non compensated national schemes of mandatory general and livestock catch crops 12.8 % were re-

ported to the police and 7.4 % received an enforcement notice for non-compliance with the require-

ments for the establishment of catch crops. This share on the national scheme illustrates an increase

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in farms with violations, compared to the previous data from 2014 (3.1 % and 4.7 %, respectively).

Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that since 2014 two new schemes for catch crops has been

introduced (livestock and targeted catch crops), the rules for e.g. reporting and control of

catch crops

have been changed and the rules of sanctioning has been tightened.

The Danish Agriculture Agency continuously focuses on how to improve and streamline the control of

catch crops, and in recent years a significant proportion of the inspections of the targeted catch crops

are

designated

using satellite-based screening (e.g. including analysis of specific risk factors), which

is very effective compared to other methods of designating farms to control.

In 2019, there were 87

inspections of

the targeted catch crops. Approximately 60 % of the farms

designated

using satellite-

based screening were sanctioned, however less than 5 % of the inspections of targeted catch crops

resulted in a sanction, if one disregard the cases that were selected for inspections using satellite-

based screening. For the targeted catch crops non-compliance is sanctioned with both a reduction in

the subsidy and a reduction of the fertilizer nitrogen quota for the farm corresponding to the non-com-

pliance.

Cost effectiveness

The River Basement Management Plans (RBMP) represent the effort to ensure the required status of

the water bodies according to the Water Framework Directive.

The higher N-quota has increased income and N-losses, but in both cases less so than expected. The

increased income is likely to be around 400-600 million DKK. The increased use of nitrogen has been

around 30-35.000 tones N.

The period from 2015 to 2019 has seen a transition towards more targeted measures and this has

insured that the implementation has become more flexible and cheaper to implement. At the same time,

it has only been a first step towards targeting as the variation in the measures efficiency across soils

and the nitrogen retention map has not been fully used in the targeting. The increased flexibility was a

process that was already started before 2016 allowing farmers to replace catch crops with other

measures if the measures had the same environmental effect. The targets regarding collective

measures have been ambitious and especially the creation of mini wet lands, which in 2015 was a new

measure. It is not uncommon that new measures are faced with implementation challenges, which also

happened in this case despite a large effort to get farmers on board

Future evolution of the water body quality

The efforts in the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) for 2021-2027 are expected to be focused

on a significant reduction of the nitrogen loads to

coastal waters.

The coastal waters are affected by

a number of pressures. However, the primary reason for the missing fulfillment of the environmental

objectives is a too high nitrogen load. In the 3

RBMP it will also be investigated whether there also is

a need for further reduction of phosphorous in some of the marine waterbodies where such a reduc-

tion will have a substantial impact on the relevant quality elements. In the draft river basin manage-

ment plans for the period 2021-2027, the assessment of chemical status for groundwater bodies is

based on groundwater quality standards and threshold values for pollutants. The assessment of sig-

nificant and sustained upward trend in the concentrations of pollutants has yet to be completed. A po-

tential need for supplementary measures will be investigated further during the third plan period. The

national monitoring program and the scientific studies indicate that the ecological water quality in

Danish

rivers and streams

is not affected significantly by emissions of nitrogen. Emissions/dis-

charges of phosphorus are the most important pressures to obtain good ecological water quality in

lakes.

New measures as improved wastewater treatment and constructed wetland/mini-wetlands etc.

can reduce the discharges of phosphorus in the catchment areas to lakes. New target loads are ex-

pected to be published in connection with the 6 month hearing of the draft 3

RMBMs.

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3. Water quality: assessment

and maps

3.1

Surface water: watercourses

In Denmark, watercourses are dominated by numerous small streams and only very few larger rivers,

which still – on a European scale – have relatively short distance between source and outlet. There-

fore, Danish streams are generally not liable to eutrophication, and nitrate constitutes a major part of

total nitrogen during all seasons.

3.1.1

Presentation of monitoring stations

The maps are based on flow-weighted annual mean concentrations at 210 stream sampling stations,

representing streams draining both smaller and larger catchments. With 111 stream sampling stations

in the period 2012-15, the number of sampling stations has increased significantly since the previous

period. Removed stations are listed in appendix 1. The catchments cover a range of nutrient sources,

some of them only affected by losses from agricultural activities in the catchment, others also by point

sources.

3.1.2

Status for nitrate concentrations

Data for nitrate are extracted from the “ODA database”,a database holding monitoring data from wa-

tercourses, lakes and marine areas. The extract is made by selecting all watercourse stations in the

relevant periods with data for nitrate. Data from analyses marked as "under control" or "academic res-

ervation" are not included. Subsequently, a selection of relevant stations has taken place, which has

continuous sampling. A few (about 19 stations) do not have sampling every year, but every three

years. Unfortunately, the ODA database contains some redundant data for watercourse analyses.

That is, for some stations, analyses for nitrate are available on the same date, time, and with the

same result. This is an error when loading data, and thus this redundant data is deleted manually in

data extracts.

Flow-weighted mean nitrate concentrations (annual and winter value) and max value in streams for

the period 2016-2019 shown in table 3.1 and in figure 3.1 and 3.2.

Table 3.1 Annual and winter average NO3 concentration as well as max NO3 concentration for

the period 2016-2019

No of Samples

Avg.

Annual Value

(mg/l)

107

0,08

14,3

13,9

52,2

Avg.

Winter Value

(mg/l)

0,1

17,7

16,9

51,17

Max Value

(mg/l)

0,44

33,4

29,2

146

Minimum

Mean

Median

Maximum

In freshwater, the analytical technique used as determined by the method data sheets, and the analy-

sis result is stated as nitrite + nitrate-N. In the vast majority and normal cases, it can be assumed that

the concentration of nitrite is vanishingly small, and therefore nitrate-N can be converted via this for-

mula: Nitrate-NO3 (mg / L) = 4.4268 x nitrite + nitrate-N (mg / L).

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Average annual value are calculated as the average of all nitrate analyses for each measuring station

for each year in the period. However, there is only calculated an average annual value if at least 7

samples have been taken per. year. This number of 7 samples has been chosen based on an analy-

sis that found that a few more stations were included, which had fewer samples than the other sta-

tions due to dehydration.

Average winter values are the average of all nitrate analyses for each station for each year in the pe-

riod, in which the sample was taken, from and including first of October and up to and including 30-

of March (winter). After this an averages has been calculated. This method are used to avoid that

individual analyses are included with different weightings in relation to the average, if the sampling

frequency has varied within the 4-year period.

Figure 3.1 Mean nitrate concentration in watercourses during the current reporting period

(2016-2019)

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Figure 3.2 Max nitrate concentration in watercourses during the current reporting period

(2016-2019)

3.1.3

Trend in nitrate concentrations

As nitrate concentrations are very dependent on precipitation and run-off, conclusions regarding

changes between two specific periods should be drawn with caution. Although the use of flow-

weighted annual mean and inter-mean concentrations reduces the climate dependency, it does not

completely eliminate it.

In the 2008-2011 reporting, most monitoring stations displayed lower nitrate concentrations compared

to the previous period. In the 2012-2015 reporting, changes were smaller and in both directions. In

the current reporting (2016-2019), nitrate concentrations are stable for most stations although there

seems to be an increasing trend of in some monitoring stations.

Long-term time-series and statistical tests on flow-weighed concentrations show that there have been

significant reductions in both nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations since the implementation of the

nationwide Danish monitoring programme in 1989. Table 3.2 shows changes in nitrate concentrations

between the two periods 2012-2015 and 2016-2019.

(NO

) Trend

Change in nitrate

Numbers

Percentage (%) Numbers

Percentage (%)

annual average annual average winter average winter average

Strong

Increasing

Weak

>+1 and ≤+5 mg/l

28,1%

32,9%

> + 5 mg/l

3,3%

7,1%

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Stable

≥– 1 and ≤ + 1 mg/l

>+1 and ≤

–5 mg/l

126

60,0%

100

47,6%

Weak

Decreasing

Strong

7,1%

11,4%

< – 5 mg/l

1,4%

1,0%

Table 3.2 Changes in annual and winter average NO3 concentration in streams from the previ-

ous period (2012-2015) to the current period (2016-2019)

The results on watercourses are based on 210 stream sampling stations representing streams drain-

ing both smaller and larger catchments.

Long-term time series and statistical trend tests show that there have been significant reductions in

both flow-weighted nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations since 1989.

Changes in flow-weighted nitrate concentrations between the previous period (2012-2015) and cur-

rent period (2016-2019) show that in 8.5 % of the watercourses, there has been a weak or strong re-

duction in the flow-weighted annual average NO3-concentration. The percentage is a little bit higher

(12.4 %) regarding winter average.

There has been an increase in 31.4% of the watercourses (40% for the winter average), and in 60 %

of the watercourses, the concentrations are unchanged (47.6 % for winter average).

Changes in mean nitrate and winter average concentrations in watercourses between the previous

and current period (2012-2015 and 2016-2019) are shown in Figure 3.3 and 3.4.

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Figure 3.3 Changes in mean nitrate concentration in watercourses from the previous to the

current period (2012-2015 to 2016-2019)

Figure 3.4 Changes in winter average nitrate concentration in watercourses from the previous

to the current period (2012-2015 to 2016-2019)

3.1.4

Indicators for eutrophication in Danish water courses

Eutrophication caused by excess amounts of nutrients is mainly a problem in lakes and marine wa-

ters, and large or slowly flowing rivers. In Danish streams, the residence time is too short for plank-

tonic algae to become a problem. Thus, monitoring of eutrophication indicators such as chlorophyll-a

concentration is only relevant in lakes, coastal waters and large rivers. Dissolved nutrients may have

an effect on benthic algae and macrophytes in streams, but Denmark has not yet established a classi-

fication scheme for this kind of nutrient enrichment effects in watercourses.

For many years, the main problem with water quality in Danish streams has been pollution with or-

ganic matter. Denmark is a country with very short distances from any point on land to the coast. Only

very few larger rivers (with a maximum length from source to outlet of approx. 150 km) can be found,

while the majority of the area is drained by numerous small streams. Danish streams are generally

too small for planktonic algae to become very abundant. Therefore, Denmark has focused its environ-

mental monitoring in streams on organic matter indicators such as BOD, and there is no monitoring of

secchi depth, chlorophyll a or similar eutrophication indicators. Moreover, the Danish monitoring of

nutrients in streams focus on the resulting nutrient loadings in vulnerable surface waters, that is, lakes

and coastal waters.

In this reporting for the 7

period (2016-2019) we have included data for eutrophication indicators as

phosphorous, total-P, orthophosphate-P and nitrogen, total N, but the data can not be used to de-

scribe status for eutrophication in the light of the above mentioned contexts.

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3.1.5

Ecological state

The classification of ecological state are based on data from the third RBMP in line with the Guide-

lines. According to these it´s proposed, that the term “non-eutrophic” of the Nitrates Directive relates

to the WFD high and good status, and the term "eutrophic" of the Nitrates Directive relates to situa-

tions where undesirable disturbances are common or severe and equates to moderate, poor or bad

status. The same approach for classification of ecological state are used for watercourses, lakes and

Estuarine, coastal and marine waters.

The classification of ecological state of the 426 monitoring station in watercourses in connection with

the latest RBMP can be found in table 3.3. The ecological state at 28 percent of the 392 monitoring

station in watercourses with known status are non-eutrophic.

If a similar approach as in table 3.3 is used on all waterbodies in WFD with an ecological classification

in the third RBMP then 71 % will be categorized as non-eutrophic and 29 % will be categorized as eu-

trophic

Table 3.3 Distribution of the 426 monitoring stations in watercourses monitored for the param-

eters nitrate during the 7

reporting period with respect to ecological state in the third river

basin management plan

River type

1 (small)

2 (medium)

3 (large)

Unknown

Total

284

Percentage of total

with known status (392) 72 %

Eutrophic Non-eutrophic Unknown Total

290

201

108

28 %

426

The classification “Unknown” is either monitoring stations placed in watercourses not included in the

RBMP or there is not sufficient data to make a classification at the specific monitoring station.

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3.2

Surface water: Lakes

3.2.1

Presentation of monitoring stations

Danish lake monitoring stations for the 7

period (2016-2019) are shown in Figure 3.5

The lakes included are a selection of Danish lakes > 5 hectares covered by the Water Framework Di-

rective. Data from the 7

reporting period of the Nitrates Directive (2016-2019) include 20 lakes with

analysis of lake water for nitrate concentration and 447 lakes with measurements of Chl a. Removed

stations are listed in appendix 2.

Figure 3.5 The location of 447 Danish lake monitoring stations used to measure the concentra-

tions of nitrate and/or Chlorophyll a in the lake water. Nitrate stations are indicated by blue

dots.

Nitrate concentration were monitored ones during the period in two lakes, while the other 18 lakes

were monitored every second year during the period and thus two years of data are included. Sam-

pling frequency for nitrate concentration was 18-19 times in the period 1. January to 31. December for

the 18 lakes. The other two lakes were measured 6 times in the period 1. April – 30. September and

once in the period October-December. Nitrate concentrations are given as time-weighted annual and

time-weighted winter averages (January to February and October to December). For the lakes meas-

ured biannually, the nitrate concentrations represents simple averages of the time-weighted annual

averages and winter averages for the period.

Chlorophyll a concentration were measured ones during the period in 371 of the lakes, while the other

76 lakes were measured twice during the period. Sampling frequency for Chlorophyll a concentration

during the summer (1 April - 30 September) was 3-11 times during the summer. For lakes measured

biannual the Chlorophyll a concentration are given as a simple average of the time-weighted summer

average for the period.

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The number of lakes monitored for the parameters nitrate and Chlorophyll a during either the 6

, 7

both reporting periods can be found in Table 3.4.

Table 3.4. Number of lakes monitored in the 6

and 7

monitoring period for nitrate (NO

) and

Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in lake water.

Number of lakes

Chl

period

196

period

447

Common lakes

158

For the classification of ecological state of the lakes, an approach, including a larger number of lakes

and parameters has been used in this 7

reporting period, as described in detail in section 3.2.4.1.

3.2.2

Status for nitrate concentrations

The number of Danish lakes within different classes of nitrate concentrations in the 7

period (2016-

2019) with respect to annual average, winter average and maximum nitrate concentrations are shown

in table 3.5. The annual average nitrate concentrations in the 7

period (2016-2019) in Danish lakes

range from 0.14-19.0 mg NO

/l with an average of 3.2 mg NO

/l.

Winter average concentrations are generally higher than the annual average concentrations (19 out of

20 lakes) and vary between 0.1 and 30.5 mg NO

/l with an average of 4.3 mg NO

/l. This is due to

higher loading, low primary production and less denitrification during winter.

In general, annual average nitrate concentrations are low – compared to the Nitrates Directive limit on

50 mg/l 65% of the lakes have an annual mean concentration less than 2 mg NO

/l. The maximum

concentrations varies between 0.2 and 70.8 mg NO

/l. One lake had a maximum concentration

above 50 mg NO

/l.

Table 3.5: The number of lakes within a certain class of nitrate concentration (annual average,

winter average and maximum, respectively)

(mg/l)

0 – 1.99

2 – 9.99

10–24.99

25–39.99

40–49.99

≥

Annual average –

number of lakes

Winther average –

number of lakes

Maximum –

number of lakes

3.2.3

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Table 3.6 and the maps in Figure 3.6 and Figure 3.7 show the development in nitrate concentrations

in the lake water in the 20 common monitored lakes between the 6

period (2012-2015) and the 7

period (2016-2019) with respect to annual average and winter average nitrate concentrations, based

on the intervals/thresholds given in the reporting guidelines (“Nitrates Directive (91/676/CEE) – ‘Sta-

tus and trends in aquatic environment and agricultural practice - Development guide for Member

States’ reports”).

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The nitrate concentrations are cf. the Nitrates Directive, stated as mg NO

/l, while in the reporting for

the 5th and 6th reporting period the unit mg N/l has been used. Previously reported nitrate values

have therefore been converted to mg NO

/l in order to determine development trends for the nitrate

concentrations in Danish lakes

Table 3.6 Change in annual average and winter average NO

concentration in the lake water

(mg/l) from 6

to 7

period

Trend in NO

(mg NO

/l)

Strong increase (>5)

Increase (>+1 and ≤5)

Stability (≥

-1

and ≤1 )

Decrease (>-1

and ≤

-5)

Strong decrease (<-5)

Annual average NO

Number of lakes

Percentage of lakes (%)

Winter average NO

Number of lakes

Percentage of lakes (%)

In the reporting from the 6

period 2012-2015, no changes were registered in relation to the period

2008-2011. This is because data were reported as mg N/l. If data had been reported in accordance

with the Directive's indications for this in the form of mg NO

/l rather than mg N/l, then previous re-

porting would also have shown that the nitrate content was not stable in all lakes.

Figure 3.6 Change in annual average nitrate concentration in the lake water (mg/l) from 6

(2012-2015) to the 7

(2016-2019) period.

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Figure 3.7 Change in winter average nitrate concentration in the lake water (mg/l) from 6

(2012-2015) to the 7

(2016-2019) period.

3.2.4

Eutrophication status and trend

3.2.4.1 Data used for the classification of the ecological state of lakes

The classification of the ecological state of the 447

lakes monitored for the parameters nitrate and/or

Chlorophyll a during the 7

reporting period is based on monitoring data from the third river basin

management plan (RBMP) for the biological elements (chlorophyll a

, phytoplankton

, other aquatic

flora

, macrophytes

, benthic invertebrates

and fish

) and chemical and physio-chemical elements

supporting the biological elements (transparency, oxygenation conditions, nutrient conditions and

river basin specific pollutants) sampled during the period 2014-2019. If there are no data from this pe-

riod, data dating back until 2008 may have been used in the classification of the ecological state of a

lake.

Lakes established for the purpose of nutrient retention or lakes with less stringent

environmental objectives are not included.

Chlorophyll a is only used as an element for the classification of ecological status of

a lake, when there exists no measurements of the quality element phytoplankton

Phytoplankton can only be included as a quality element in the classification of the

ecological state in lakes of the Danish typology 1, 5, 9, 10 and 11.

Other aquatic flora can only be included as a quality element in the classification of the ecological state in lakes

of the Danish typology 9 and 10.

Macrophytes can only be included as a quality element in the classification of the

ecological state in lakes of the Danish typology 1, 5, 9, 10 and 13.

Benthic invertebrates can only be included as a quality element in the classification of the ecological state in

lakes of the Danish typology 9 and 10.

Fish can only be included as a quality element in the classification of the ecological

state in lakes of the Danish typology 1, 9, 10, 11 and 13.

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Data include 287 lakes with measurements of chlorophyll a, 159 lakes of measurement of phytoplank-

ton, 123 lakes of measurement of other aquatic flora, 233 lakes of measurements of macrophytes, 42

lakes of measurement of benthic invertebrates, 193 lakes with measurements of fish fauna, 409 lakes

of measurement of transparency, 445 lakes with measurement of oxygenation conditions, 410 lakes

of measurement of phosphorus conditions, 406 lakes of measurement of nitrogen conditions and 152

lakes of measurement of river basin specific pollutants.

3.2.4.2 Ecological state

The classification of ecological state of the 447 monitoring lakes in connection with the latest RBMP

can be found in table 3.7. Fifteen percent of the 447 lakes are non-eutrophic. If a similar approach as

in table 3.7 is used on all 737

lakes with an ecological classification in the third RBMP then 21 % will

be categorized as non-eutrophic and 79 % will be categorized as eutrophic.

Table 3.7 Distribution of the 447 lakes monitored for the parameters nitrate and/or Chlorophyll

a during the 7

reporting period with respect to ecological state in the third river basin man-

agement plan

Ecological state

Low alkaline lakes

Shallow alkaline lakes

Deep alkaline lakes

Percentage of total lakes

Non-eutrophic

Eutrophic

272

3.2.4.3 Development in ecological state

The development in ecological state of the lakes is based on a comparison of the ecological state pre-

sented in in the second (2015-2021) and the third (2021-2027) river basin management plans. Lakes

measured for the parameters nitrate and/or Chlorophyll a during the 7

reporting period are selected.

405 of the 447 lakes have been monitored in both river basin plan periods. The development in eco-

logical state of these lakes is shown in table 3.8. Generally, most lakes has been stable over the

course of the two river plan periods and only a minor fraction has increased (5%) or decreased (9%).

Table 3.8 Development in ecological state in the 405 lakes monitored in both the second river

basin management plan and the third river basin management plan

Trend in

ecological state

Increase

Stable

Decrease

Non-eutrophic



Eu-

trophic

Eutrophic



Non-eu-

trophic

Number of lakes

345

Percentage of lakes

Lakes established for the purpose of nutrient retention or lakes with less stringent environmental objectives are

not included

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3.3

Surface water: Estuarine, coastal and marine waters

3.3.1

Presentation of monitoring stations

The presented nitrate (NO

) concentrations, status and trends are based on data from a total of 79

stations, which is 22 stations more than in the 6

reporting (2012-2015) (Figure 3.8).

Based on analysis of the available data it is assessed that that the 7

reporting can include 22 sta-

tions that were not covered by the last report plus 57 out of the 59 stations covered in the 6

report-

ing. Monitoring has ceased on two out of the 59 stations covered in the 6

reporting. On the 22 new

stations there is sufficient data from both the 7

reporting period (2016-2019) and the 6

reporting pe-

riod (2012-2015) to calculate reliable averages for annual and winter averages and perform trend

analysis. The “new” stations are mostly stations which have for various reasons not been monitored

for longer periods before 2012. However, sampling at the "new" stations has been resumed since

2012, so that sufficient data are available to include them in this reporting. The 7

reporting (2016-

2019) thus comprises a total of 79 stations compared to 59 stations in the 6

reporting.

Figure 3.8 Stations with NO

concentrations being monitored every year during the 7

report-

ing period 2016 – 2019. Out of the 79 stations shown, 48 stations represent estuarine and

coastal waters and 31 stations represent marine open waters. Out of the 31 stations represent-

ing marine open waters, 17 stations have data for both annual and winter NO

, while 14 sta-

tions only have data for winter NO

. Stations where chlorophyll

is monitored are shown in

Figure 3.16.

From the 2

period (1996-1999) until present, i.e. the 7

period (2016-2019), the total number of

monitoring stations has been reduced as shown in table 3.9. However, the number of monitoring sta-

tions has increased markedly since the last reporting period.

In estuarine and coastal waters, the number of monitoring stations decreased by 29 from 56 to 27 sta-

tions between the 2

and 6

reporting period, but 21 more stations was included in the 7

reporting

(Table 3.9). For marine open water stations, 55 stations were abolished from the 2

to the 6

period

(Table 3.10), mainly because of a stop in North Sea/Skagerrak monitoring between the 4

and 5

pe-

riod, when 48 stations were abandoned. Monitoring on some of these stations has been reintroduced

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from 2015/2016 and the 7

reporting includes data from 31 open water stations. In the 7

reporting

summer chlorophyll is only reported for stations with a minimum of 7 measurements in the period May

to September for 3 out of four years in both the 6

and 7

reporting periods. This corresponds to the

minimum requirements for calculating the summer-chlorophyll indicator used in the Danish implemen-

tation of the WFD. This change means that summer chlorophyll can only be reported for 10 stations

representing marine open waters.

Table 3.9 Monitoring points (i.e. number of stations) for Danish estuaries and coastal waters

Number of

monitoring

points

Winter NO

Annual

Summer

chlorophyll

period

1996-

1999

period

2000-

2003

period

2004-

2007

period

2008-

2011

period

2012-

2015

period

2016-2019

Table 3.10 Monitoring points (i.e. number of stations) for Danish marine open waters

Number of

monitoring

points

Winter NO

Annual

Summer

chlorophyll

period

1996-

1999

period

2000-

2003

period

2004-

2007

period

2008-

2011

period

2012-

2015

period

2016-2019

Additionally, at 15 marine open water stations, the NO

concentration was not measured in the sum-

mer months (i.e. between April – September) during the 7

period allowing only 17 stations to be in-

cluded in the calculated average annual NO

concentration opposite to 87 stations in the 2

period,

i.e. a reduction in station number by 80% (Table 3.10).

The estuarine and coastal water monitoring stations abolished since the 2

reporting period have

been carefully singled out to secure an adequate, though less dense, coverage of Danish estuarine

and coastal waters. Thus the reported data are still expected to be sufficient to give a true and fair

view of nitrate and chlorophyll a concentrations in estuarine and coastal waters. The same counts for

Danish marine open water with the exceptions of (1) the North Sea where no monitoring was con-

ducted during the 6

and 7

period and (2) eastern Kattegat, the Belt Sea, and southern Baltic Sea,

where summer concentrations of nitrate were not monitored during the 7

period and thus preclude

calculation of a sufficient coverage of annual average NO

concentrations in these water bodies.

However, monitoring of the North Sea was reintroduced in 2015/16 along with the implementation of

the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and will continue in the new monitoring program for 2017-

21, presently being worked out (20 stations).

3.3.2

Status for nitrate concentrations

During the 7

period (2016-2019) the highest average NO

winter (October – March) surface (0-10

m) concentrations were observed in the estuaries with a maximum average concentration of 12.2 mg

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/l (± 2.56 mg NO

/l standard deviation) at Station 18752 and with the lowest concentrations mon-

itored in the marine open waters (i.e. Kattegat, the Belt Sea, and Arkona Basin) (Figure 3.9) where

the average winter NO

concentration did not exceed 1.0 mg NO

/l. The NO

concentration de-

creased during the summer half at all stations (data not shown), thus lower annual average concen-

tration (Figure 3.10) was seen for the 7

period compared to the winter concentrations of the same

period.

Annual means are only reported when it can be calculated – i.e. an annual average value is not re-

ported for stations with only 1-3 measurements in winter (corresponding to the stations marked ma-

rine open water (winter only) in Fig. 3.6).

Figure 3.9 Average surface (0-10 m) winter (October – March) NO

concentrations in mg NO

for the 7

monitoring period (2016 – 2019) at 79 stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and ma-

rine open waters.

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Figure 3.10 Average surface (0-10 m) annual NO

concentrations in mg NO

/l for the 7

moni-

toring period (2016 – 2019) at 65 stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters.

Figure 3.11 Maximum surface (0-10 m) NO

concentrations in mg NO

/l for the 7

monitoring

period (2016 – 2019) at 78 stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters.

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3.3.3

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Surface water nitrate concentrations in estuarine, coastal and marine open waters are generally much

lower than observed in groundwater and fresh water systems. Therefore trends between previous

monitoring periods (i.e. 2

and 6

period) and this 7

period have been estimated by a statistical ap-

proach rather than using absolute concentration changes, since the proposed concentration changes

to detect change are too large for a marine context (i.e. changes >± 1 mg NO

/l). That means that the

trend analysis is carried out in the same way as in the last report. The trend analysis has been carried

out as a paired comparison with t-tests on log-transformed mean values, for stations with at least 3

data points within each 4-year reporting period.

Criteria for the trend analysis are: for p-values> 0.05 there is no significant trend, for p-values <= 0.05

and > 0.01 the trend is described as significant, and for p-values <= 0.01 the trend is designated as

very significant. The P-value can be interpreted as the certainty that there is a real, significant differ-

ence between the two periods being compared. At p = 0.01, there is thus a 99% probability that there

is a real significant difference, while correspondingly there is only an 80% probability that there is a

real difference when p = 0.2. The limit for when a difference between two periods is described as sig-

nificant is set to p = 0.05

Table 3.11 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) winter (October – March) NO

concentrations in

Danish estuaries and coastal waters. Percentage of points (i.e. stations) with increasing, sta-

ble or decreasing average concentrations of nitrate at 39 stations for short term trends (diff.

between 6

and 7

period) and 26 stations for long term trends (diff. between 2

and 7

pe-

riod, Figure 3.12 and Figure 3.13), based on statistical significance. In brackets: Maximum ab-

solute concentration changes (mg/l) and relative (%), digit sign shows increasing (+) or de-

creasing (-) value. Footnotes refer to station numbers (see Figure 3.8)

Trend

Increasing

Significance

period to 7

period

2012-2015 to 2016-2019

period to 7

period

1996-1999 to 2016-2019

strongly

(p<0.01) 0%

weakly

(p<0.05)

3,8%

(+0.4 mg/l; +130%)

Stable

(p>0.05)

94,2% (-2.19 mg/l; -20.0%)

73,2% (-6.5 mg/l; -58.0%)

Decreasing weakly

(p<0.05)

2,6%

(-0.31 mg/l; -18.3%)

11,5% (-3.5 mg/l; -38.9%)

strongly

(p<0.01) 2,6%

(-0.29 mg/l; -28.6%)

11,5% (-0.61 mg/l; -30.5%)

St. 3729-1,

St 3727-1,

St 3708-1, ,

St 51013,

St 3729-1,

St 230902,

St 3727-1

Table 3.12 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) winter (October – March) NO

concentrations in

Danish marine open waters. Percentage of points (i.e. stations) with increasing, stable or de-

creasing average concentrations of nitrate at 30 stations for short term trends (diff. between

and 7

period) and 29 stations for long term trends (diff. between 2

and 7

period, Figure

3.12 and Figure 3.13), based on statistical significance. In brackets: Maximum absolute con-

centration changes (mg/l) and relative (%), digit sign shows increasing (+) or decreasing (-)

value. Footnotes refer to station numbers (see Figure 3.8).

Trend

Increasing

Significance

strongly

(p<0.01)

weakly

(p<0.05)

period to 7

period

2012-2015 to 2016-2019

period to 7

period

1996-1999 to 2016-2019

6.9%

17.2%

(+0,26 mg/l;

+204%)

(+0,18 mg/l;

+121%)

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Stable

(-0.28 mg/l; -

65.6% (-0.64 mg/l; -

29.1%)

40.1%)

Decreas-

weakly

(p<0.05)

6.7%

(-0.46 mg/l; -

6.9%

(-0.41 mg/l; -

ing

32.3%)

36.8%)

strongly

6.7%

(-0.06 mg/l; -

3.4%

(-0.13 mg/l; -

(p<0.01)

31.1%)

58.2%)

St. 43,

St 1510007,

St 6700053,

St 1008,

St 905,

St 1510007,

St 6300043

For annual averages, long-term trends (difference between 2016-2019 and 1996-1999) and short-

term trends (difference between 2016-2019 and 2012-2015) can be calculated for 37 and 51 stations,

respectively. For long-term trends (annual averages), concentrations are stable at 27 stations and sig-

nificantly decrease at 10 stations. For short-term trends (annual averages), the concentrations are

stable at 47 stations, significantly decreasing at 2 stations and very significantly decreasing at 2 sta-

tions.

For winter averages, long-term trends and short-term trends can be calculated for 55 and 69 stations,

respectively. For long-term trends (winter averages), concentrations are stable at 38 stations, signifi-

cantly decreasing at 5 stations, very significantly decreasing at 4 stations, significantly increasing at 6

stations and very significantly increasing at 2 stations.

For short-term trends (winter averages), concentrations are stable at 63 stations, significantly de-

creasing at 3 stations and very significantly decreasing at 3 stations, and there are no stations with

significant increases

(p>0.05)

86.6%

Figure 3.12 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) winter (October – March) NO

concentrations

between the 6

reporting period (2012-2015) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 69 stations in

Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters.

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Figure 3.13 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) winter (October – March) NO

concentrations

between the 2

reporting period (1996-1999) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 55 stations in

Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters.

Figure 3.14 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) annual NO

concentrations between the 6

re-

porting period (2012-2015) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 51 stations in Danish estuarine,

coastal and marine open waters.

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Figure 3.15 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) annual NO

concentrations between the 2

re-

porting period (1996-1999) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 37 stations in Danish estuarine,

coastal and marine open waters.

3.3.4

Eutrophication status and development

In this report, we use the average summer (May – September) concentrations of chlorophyll

in sur-

face waters (0-10 m) as a proxy for eutrophication in Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open wa-

ters. Chlorophyll

has been chosen in order to provide consistency with previous reports.

Maximum chlorophyll

concentrations during the 7

period (2016-2019) were observed in estuaries

with concentrations up to 41.5 ± 10.6 µg/l at Station 6602 (Halkær Bredning) but with decreasing con-

centrations towards marine open waters and lowest chlorophyll

concentrations in Kattegat ranging

from 1.3 to 1.4 µg/l at Stations 925 and 409, respectively (Figure 3.16).

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Figure 3.16 Average surface (0-10 m) summer (May – September) chlorophyll

concentrations

(µg/l) for the 7

monitoring period (2016 – 2019) at 49 stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and

marine open waters. The average concentration is expressed at each station as a simple mean

i.e.

∑

[chlorophyll a]

. The highest value shown in the legend corresponds to the highest con-

i=1

centration on the map.

While significant reductions in chlorophyll was reported for both short and long-term trends in the 6

reporting (2012-2015), no significant reductions were found in the 7

reporting. In contrast, an in-

creasing trend in chlorophyll

concentration was observed at about 14 % of all stations monitored in

Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters between the 6

period (2012-2015) and the 7

pe-

riod (2016-2019; Figure 3.17, Table 3,13 and Table 3.14), and no long term trend in chlorophyll a be-

tween the 2

period (1996-1999) and the 7

period (2016-2019) was detected (Figure 3.18, Table

3.13 and Table 3.14).

Table 3.13 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) summer (May – September) chlorophyll

con-

centrations in Danish estuaries and coastal waters. Percentage of points (i.e. stations) with in-

creasing, stable or decreasing average concentrations of chlorophyll

at 39 stations for short

term trends (diff. between 6

and 7

period) and 26 stations for long term trends (diff. between

and 6

period, Figure 3.17 and Figure 3.18), based on statistical significance. In brackets:

Maximum absolute concentration changes (µg/l) and relative (%), digit sign shows increasing

(+) or decreasing (-) value. Footnotes refer to station numbers (se 3.8).

Trend

Increasing

Significance

strongly

(p<0.01)

weakly

(p<0.05)

(p>0.05)

weakly

(p<0.05)

strongly

(p<0.01)

period to 7

period

2012-2015 to 2016-2019

2.6%

10.2%

87.2%

(+0.93 µg/l; -

90.3%)

(+3.93 µg/l; -

121.1%)

(-16.02 µg/l; -

46.8%)

period to 7

period

1996-1999 to 2016-2019

100%

( -24.70 µg/l; -

72.2%)

Stable

Decreas-

ing

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St. 1727,

St 4411,

St. 3729-1

Table 3.14 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) summer (May – September) chlorophyll

con-

centrations in Danish marine open waters. Percentage of points (i.e. stations) with increasing,

stable or decreasing average concentrations of chlorophyll

at 10 stations (diff. between 6

and 7

period) and 8 stations for long term trends (diff. between 2

and 7

period, Figure 3.15

and Figure 3.16), based on statistical significance. In brackets: Maximum concentration

changes in absolute numbers (µg/l) and relative (%), digit sign shows increasing (+) or de-

creasing (-) value. Footnotes refer to station numbers (se figure 3.8)

Trend

Increasing

Significance

strongly

(p<0.01)

weakly

(p<0.05)

(p>0.05)

weakly

(p<0.05)

strongly

(p<0.01)

period to 7

period

2012-2015 to 2016-2019

10%

80%

(+0.75 µg/l;

+77.3%)

(+0.61 µg/l;

+82.6%)

(+0.66 µg/l;

+58.3%)

period to 7

period

1996-1999 to 2016-2019

100%

(-3.78 µg/l; -

48.1%)

Stable

Decreas-

ing

St. 431,

St. 925,

St. 101015,

St. 1510007

Figure 3.17 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) summer (May – September) chlorophyll

con-

centrations between the 6

reporting period (2012-2015) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 49

stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters. Trends are based on statistical

analyses as explained in the text and shown in Table 3.13 and Table 3.14.

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Figure 3.18 Trends in average surface (0-10 m) summer (May – September) chlorophyll

con-

centrations between the 2

reporting period (1996-1999) and the 7

period (2016-2019) at 36

stations in Danish estuarine, coastal and marine open waters.

Trends are based on statistical analyses as explained in the text and shown in Table 3.13 and

Table 3.14.

3.3.5

Ecological State

A total of 79 Danish monitoring stations are included in the 7

reporting for the Nitrates Directive cov-

ering the period 2016-2019, and 55 out of the 79 stations are located in 55 coastal water bodies ad-

ministered in the Danish River Basin Management Plans (RBMP). The 24 remaining stations are

open water stations located more than 12 nautical miles from the coast, where ecological status is not

assessed, The 55 stations in coastal water bodies represent more than half of the 109 coastal water

bodies included in the Danish RBMP.

The ecological status of the 55 coastal water bodies represented by the 55 monitoring stations in-

cluded in the 7

Nitrates directive reporting was recently assessed in relation to the 3

generation

RBMP (2022-2027). The 6-year data period used for the assessment of ecological status was 2014-

2019.

Based on nutrient sensitive BQE’s, 52 out of the 55 coastal water bodies containing the stations re-

ported in the 7

reporting are classified as ‘Eutrophic’, while the remaining stations are classified as

‘non-eutrophic’ (Table 3.15).

Since the basic typology of Danish water bodies, and reference conditions and environmental targets

for key nutrient sensitive BQE’s was adjusted in preparation for the 3

generation RBMP, it is not

meaningful to compare the trophic status presented in Table 3.15 to previous assessments.

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Table 3.15 Trophic status of the 55 coastal water bodies containing 55 of the monitoring sta-

tions included in the 7

Nitrates directive reporting. The classification of water bodies is a

translation of the ecological status assessment made for the 3

generation RBMP (2022-2027)

based on nutrient sensitive Biological Quality Elements.

Non-Eutrophic

Number of water bodies

Literature

Carstensen, J. W. (2015) Marine områder 2014. NOVANA. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø

og Energi, 142 s. - Videnskabelig rapport fra DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi nr. 167.

http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR167.pdf

(in Danish)

Riemann, B., J. Carstensen, K. Dahl, H. Fossing, J. W. Hansen, H. H. Jakobsen, A. B. Josefson, D. Krause-Jen-

sen, S. Markager, P. a. Stæhr, K. Timmermann, J. Windolf, and J. H. Andersen (2015) Recovery of Danish

Coastal Ecosystems After Reductions in Nutrient Loading: A Holistic Ecosystem Approach. Estuaries and Coasts,

doi:10.1007/s12237-015-9980-0

Eutrophic

52 (94,5 %)

3 (5.5 %)

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3.4

Groundwater

Lærke Thorling and Ingelise Møller, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland

3.4.1

Presentation of monitoring network

In Denmark, the monitoring network, which is used for meeting the monitoring requirements according

to the Nitrates Directive, ND, also serves to assess groundwater quality according to the Water

Framework Directive, WFD. Implementation of the WFD has required large adjustments of the

groundwater-monitoring network, in order to obtain a geographically more distributed monitoring net-

work, representing the Danish groundwater bodies, instead of the previous clustered network.

(Jørgensen and Stockmarr, 2009). The major adjustments took place in the period 2010-17, and in-

volved establishment of new monitoring wells as well as closure of existing monitoring wells (Thorling

et al. 2019). Due to timing of the registrations of new wells etc. the number of monitoring wells in the

recent reports may differ slightly from the present e.g., we here report data from 1210 monitoring

points in the 2012-2015 period in contrast to the 1204 reported monitoring points from the same pe-

riod in the ND report from 2016.

Many monitoring wells have several screens in different depths. The term “monitoring point” is used in

the following, when referring to samples from individual monitoring screens. Different concentrations

of nitrate are thus found at the same geographical point. To handle this, maps are shown in two ver-

sions: with either the highest or the lowest concentrations drawn last / uppermost at each geograph-

ical point.

Figure 3.19 shows the location of the 1623 groundwater monitoring points in Denmark available for

this reporting. Due to the clustered character of the monitoring network, it is not possible to show the

closed monitoring wells on the same map.

Due to the mentioned adjustments of the groundwater-monitoring network in line with the require-

ments in the EU Water Framework Directive, some monitoring points used for previous reporting peri-

ods were closed and new ones were established elsewhere. As the monitoring network originally was

clustered, 90 monitoring points have each been replaced by one other monitoring point within the

same location, 12 monitoring points have been replaced by six monitoring points and three monitoring

points have been replaced by just one monitoring point. New monitoring points were established at

completely different locations in order to monitor more groundwater bodies and increase groundwater

monitoring network density in other parts of the country.

A detailed overview on the removed points and their respective replacement points are given in

Ap-

pendix 3

to this report. In this overview, closed monitoring points have been categorized by the char-

acter of their respective replacement point, which can either be found in close proximity, within the

same groundwater body or even within the same groundwater monitoring well (in cases where one

well contains several screens).

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Figure 3.19 The location of the 1623 groundwater monitoring points in Denmark available for

this reporting. The large blue signature shows the 929 common monitoring points for the last

three periods (2008-2019). Light blue signature shows monitoring points only available for the

reporting period (2016-2019). Monitoring points used in the current period and one of the

previous periods in this report (2008-2011 or 2012-2015) are shown in light green. Finally, the

dark green signature shows monitoring points with data from one or both of the previous peri-

ods (2008-2011 / 2012-2015).

The number of groundwater monitoring points for the current and previous reporting period is shown

in table 3.16. A total of 1623 monitoring points have been used at some stage in the monitoring net-

work in the period 2008-2019.

Table 3.16 Number of groundwater monitoring points (screens in monitoring wells) for the cur-

rent (2016-2019) and the two previous reporting periods.

2008-2011

5 reporting

period

2012-2015

6 reporting

period

2016-2019

7 reporting

period

common points common points

all 3 periods

and 7

pe-

riod

929

1105

number of

points

1256

1210

1275

The national groundwater monitoring programme has been designed to monitor groundwater re-

charged after approx. 1940. The monitoring wells are either placed in quaternary glacial deposits, in

underlying tertiary fluvial deposits or in underlying cretaceous limestone. Many monitoring points are

placed in partly artesian aquifers, due to hydraulic inactive clay layers, but most monitored aquifers

are characterised as having a significant flowrate and groundwater with a residence time below 60-70

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years. There is no monitoring of captive or karstic groundwater, as the karstic properties of the lime-

stone aquifers are considered insignificant and the typical captive groundwaters have a natural quality

unsuitable for drinking water, due to salt, fluoride etc.Tables with nitrate content in the current report-

ing period and trends since the previous period subdivided according to depth can be found in Appen-

dix 4.

3.4.2

Status for nitrate concentrations

Nitrate data for 2016-2019 have been aggregated and the average value and the maximum value for

each monitoring point was calculated as the average/max of the annual average/max, respectively.

For comparison the same aggregation is done for the two previous periods 2008-2011 and 2012-

2015. Due to the revision of the monitoring network data is aggregated not only for all the monitoring

data from each year, as described in the guidelines, but also for the common monitoring points only.

Figure 3.20 The distribution of the average nitrate concentrations of the individual moni-

toring points 2016-2019. The distribution is shown for all monitoring points and monitoring

points with an average nitrate concentration above 1 mg/l.

Figure 3.20 shows the distribution of nitrate in all the monitoring points from the current period 2016-

2019. As groundwater from approximately 45 % of the monitoring points does not contain any nitrate

(or concentrations below 1 mg/L), the blue data series for all data does not start in the point of origin

in the diagram. 14% of all the monitoring points had a mean nitrate concentration above 50 mg/l ni-

trate. As also shown in figure 3.20 approximately 30 % of the monitoring points with > 1 mg/l nitrate,

exceed 50 mg/l. 55 % of the monitoring points had an average nitrate concentration above 1 mg/l,

and around 40 % of all the monitoring points did hold nitrate contents between 1 and 50 mg/l.

The aggregated data is found in table 3.17 and 3.18. 18.9 % of all the monitoring points had a maxi-

mum nitrate concentration ≥ 50 mg/l and 14.3

% of the monitoring points had an average nitrate con-

centration ≥ 50 mg/l nitrate

in the reporting period 2016-2019. The percentage of monitoring

points ≥

40 mg/l nitrate is for the maximum and average concentrations 25.3 % and 20.9 % respectively.

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The major part, about 80 % of the monitoring points has an average nitrate concentration below 40

mg/l (figure 3.20). The share of monitoring points with nitrate concentrations above 40 mg/l is only a

few percentages higher when comparing the maximum values to the average values. This is due to

the relative stable nitrate content in most monitoring points.

In both table 3.17 and 3.18

a decreasing percentage of monitoring points ≥40 mg/l and ≥50 mg/l can

be found for the maximum values as well as the average values of nitrate over the succession of the

latest reporting periods.

A comparison between table 3.17 and 3.18 indicates that a higher percentage of wells with nitrate

concentrations above 40 and 50 mg/l, respectively, is monitored in the new adjusted network used in

the current reporting period, giving a larger share of monitoring points with nitrate concentrations

above these levels in table 3.18. This explains why the overall tendency of decreasing nitrate concen-

trations in the groundwater is only weakly reflected in table 3.17, when comparing the current two pre-

vious reporting periods. The weaker indication of a trend in table 3.17 is caused by the overruling ef-

fect of the adjustments of the monitoring network.

Trend between 5

and 7

monitoring period

Table 3.17 Distribution of average and maximum nitrate concentration, for the previous (2008-

2011 and 2012-2015) and current (2016-2019) reporting period. All monitoring points in each

period are used.

NB: The networks for the reporting periods are not identical. See table 3.16 for common moni-

toring points only

Percentage of all points

≥ 50 mg/l

on max. values NO

on avg. values NO

≥ 40 mg/l

on max. values NO

on avg. values NO

2008 - 2011

20.4

16.2

26.1

22.0

2012-2015

19.8

16.4

26.3

23.1

2016-2019

18.9

14.3

25.3

20.9

Table 3.18 Distribution of average and maximum nitrate concentration, for the previous (2008-

2011 and 2012-2015) and current reporting period 2016-2019. Only common monitoring points

(n=929) are used.

Percentage of common

points

≥ 50 mg/l

on max. values NO

on avg. values NO

≥ 40 mg/l

on max. values NO

on avg. values NO

2008 - 2011

2012-2015

2016-2019

25.3

20.0

32.5

27.1

22.9

18.9

30.5

26.6

21.9

16.7

29.5

24.8

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The spatial distribution of nitrate in the groundwater reflects the importance and regional differences

of natural nitrate reduction processes in the aquifers and spatial distribution of clayey layers covering

the deeper parts of the groundwater (figure 3.21). In the deeper aquifers, elevated concentrations of

nitrate are mainly found in the western part of Denmark, whereas upper groundwater can contain ele-

vated nitrate concentrations in all parts of Denmark (Hansen et al, 2012).

The geographical distribution of nitrate concentration levels in the current reporting period is shown in

figure 3.22 and 3.23 for the average and maximum values respectively. On the maps, the distribution

of the monitoring points according to nitrate concentration is presented in four quality classes: <25,

25-40, 40-50 and

≥50

mg/l nitrate, for the recent reporting period.

The average nitrate content from the 7

reporting period (2016-2019), is illustrated in figure 3.22 (top

and bottom), where the monitoring points are drawn in both ascending and descending order, and

thus resulting in different monitoring points, on top of the other signatures. It is evident that it is possi-

ble to make two very different maps. Figure 3.22 (top) gives an impression of a geographic wide-

spread occurrence of nitrate in Danish groundwater, whereas figure 3.22 (bottom) indicates that ni-

trate problems only can be found at a very limited number of locations within the country. If no active

choice of drawing order for the monitoring points was taken, any possible combination of the map in

the figures 3.22 (top and bottom) would have been the result with a risk for very different conclusions

to be drawn.

In general, nitrate can be found in all oxic groundwater layers in most of Denmark, but the infiltration

depths of nitrate varies widely, and primarily gives rise to problems for drinking water abstraction in

the western parts of the country. On the other hand, nitrate is present in the very shallow ground wa-

ters in the eastern part of Denmark, where clay layers promote surface near runoff, often finds a way

to surface waters, and hence contributes to problems with eutrophication, figure 3.21., The highest

concentrations can generally be found below intensive agricultural areal that comprise approx. 63% of

the land use. Nitrate leached from gardens, forest and natural areas generally results in concentra-

tions below 50 mg/l.

Figure 3.21 Principle for spatial nitrate distribution in an aquifer.

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Figure 3.22 Status for the average nitrate concentration 2016-2019 in all 1275 monitoring

points. The same dataset is shown in two GIS presentations: on the top map, nitrate is drawn

in ascending order (above 50 mg/l are drawn last), on the bottom map, nitrate is drawn in de-

scending order (values below 25 mg/l are drawn last).

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Figure 3.23 Status for the maximum nitrate concentration 2016-2019 in all 1275 monitoring

points. Nitrate concentrations drawn in ascending order, values above 50 mg/l are drawn last.

3.4.3

Trend in nitrate concentrations

Trend in this reporting setup is defined as the difference of the average or maximum nitrate values,

respectively for the 1105 common monitoring point between the previous (2012-2015) and the current

(2016-2019) reporting period. This procedure was also followed in the previous reportings. The re-

sults are grouped in five classes, as shown in table 3.19.

Table 3.19 Trend in average and maximum nitrate concentrations in 1105 common monitoring

points between the previous period 2012-2015 and the current reporting period 2016-2019.

Percentage of common

points

Increasing

Strongly >+5 mg/l

Weakly >+1 to +5 mg/l

Stable

±1 mg/l

Decreasing

Strongly <-5 mg/l

Weakly <-1 to -5 mg/l

On max. NO

Nitrate mg/l-4years

On average

Nitrate mg/l-4years

12,9

7,9

50,1

18,1

11,0

10,7

7,6

50,4

18,9

12,4

The major part of the monitoring points has trends in nitrate concentration of -1 to 1 mg/l from 6

reporting period. For obvious reasons this holds for groundwater where nitrate concentrations are

below 1 mg/l, which accounts for about 45 % of the monitoring points, the stable fraction in table 3.19.

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The fluctuations from one year to another in the nitrate content in the monitoring wells with contents

above 25 mg/l are often more than 5-10 mg/l/year (measured as standard deviations). This is re-

flected in table 3.19 as the large fraction of wells, with increasing and decreasing nitrate contents from

one reporting period to another. It is notable and in line with the decreasing fractions of monitoring

points with high nitrate (table 3.17 and 3.18) that a larger fraction of monitoring points has decreasing

nitrate content than the fraction with increasing content. With respect to the average nitrate concen-

tration, 31.3 % of the monitoring points are decreasing whereas 18.3 % are increasing. Looking at the

maximum nitrate concentration, 29.1 % of the monitoring points are decreasing and 20.8 % are in-

creasing.

Figure 3.24 shows a map of the spatial distribution of the trends in average nitrate of the monitoring

wells from the 6

to the 7

reporting period. As for the status in figure 3.22 and 3.23, the overall trend

shows very different pictures, depending on the drawing order. At the top of figure 3.24 the trends are

drawn in ascending order (strongly increasing nitrate > 5 mg/l per reporting period drawn last) and in

the bottom in descending order (decreases in nitrate > 5 mg/l per reporting period drawn last).

The same picture would be found, if maps, showing the trend for the maximum nitrate contents, were

presented.

Figure 3.24 shows that both increasing and decreasing trends can be found all over the country, as

one would expect due to groundwater of different age having different distributions of trends, figure

3.24. The map gives no information on the level of nitrate in groundwater with increasing nitrate con-

tent, or the age of the groundwater, which could help to explain the increasing trends, in spite of 30

years of action plans.

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Figure 3.24 Trend of average nitrate content in 1105 common monitoring points from the 6

the 7

reporting period. (2012-2015 and 2016-2019). Note: On the top map, trends are drawn in

ascending order; the bottom map shows trends drawn in descending order.

3.4.4

Improved interpretation of nitrate concentration trends by groundwater dating

Groundwater age determination allows a relationship to concentrations of nitrate with “time of re-

charge” instead of “time of sampling”. In this way, direct comparison between nitrate in groundwater

and N loss from agriculture is possible.

The data analysis in this report only vaguely shows that the nitrate content of Danish groundwater has

been improving through the reporting periods. This might be due to the fact that the groundwater age

and infiltration time has not been taken into account.

Statistical nitrate trend analyses at a national level using CFC dating gave a strong indication of a

trend reversal of nitrate in Danish oxic groundwater in the beginning of the 1980’ies due to reduced

nitrogen leaching in Danish agriculture (Hansen et al., 2011). A recent assessment by Hansen &

Larsen (2016) and Hansen et al. (2017) using both CFC and tritium/helium dating, support these ear-

lier findings showing significant correlation between nitrate in oxic groundwater and nitrogen surplus

in agriculture at the overall Danish national level (Figure 3.25). In the last century, nitrate concentra-

tions in groundwater was increasing in wells monitoring groundwater recharged in the period from ap-

proximately 1940-1985 due to the development of Danish agriculture with increasing input of N fertiliz-

ers and N surplus. A decreasing trend in the nitrate content of oxic groundwater has been observed

from 1985 – 2012 (see Figure 3.25).

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The age of the groundwater in oxic groundwater monitoring points is up to 50 years. Thus, an in-

crease in nitrate concentrations still takes place in many monitoring points due to the high input of ni-

trogen in agriculture in the period from 1940-1985.

Figure 3.25 Concentrations of nitrate in oxic groundwater (5-years moving average) as a function of

infiltration year for dated groundwater, and nitrogen surplus in agriculture. Nitrate concentration clas-

ses are also shown for the intervals: >50 mg/l, 25-50 mg/l, and 1-25 mg/l. A total of 5,506 nitrate sam-

ples from 340 oxic monitoring points are shown.

To underpin these conclusions, the development in the nitrate concentration in individual monitoring

points, i.e. screens, in the national groundwater monitoring network (“GRUMO”) with oxic groundwa-

ter has been investigated with a linear regression analysis of nitrate time series from the individual

monitoring points, as published in Hansen et al. (2017). The analysis includes a total of 3,233 sam-

ples from 250 points, where the time series cover at least eight years in the individual sub-periods. A

total of 303 time series are included in the four sub-periods in Figure 3.26 (1940-75, 1975-85, 1985-

1998 and 1998-2014), which means that some of the 250 intakes are repeated in several sub-peri-

ods.

A nitrate trend is interpreted as increasing if the slope coefficient of the regression line through the

monitoring points is positive, and decreasing if it is negative. Figure 3.26 shows the accumulated re-

sult of the 303 calculated nitrate trends for the individual monitoring points distributed over the four

periods with both statistically significant and non-significant trends at a 95% confidence level.

Figure 3.26 shows a clear trend towards a declining nitrate content in oxic groundwater, both when

only the development in the statistically significant trends is considered and when both significant and

non-significant trends are examined. It can be seen that the number of samples for the last period

(1998-2014) provides a slimmer data basis (41 monitoring points) than, for example, the period 1975-

1985 (135 monitoring points).

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Figure 3.26 National groundwater monitoring network “GRUMO”: Oxic groundwater only:

nitrate trends in 303 monitoring points in oxic groundwater for 4 periods based on the year

of groundwater formation. The analysis includes a total of 3,233 samples from 250 screens,

where the time series cover at least 8 years. The numbers in brackets shoes the number of

monitoring points. Both statistically significant and non-significant nitrate trends are

shown at 95% confidence levels. The figure is based on data collected from 1988-2014

(Hansen et al., 2017).

References:

Hansen, B. & Larsen, F. 2016: Faglig vurdering af nitratpåvirkningen af iltet grundvand ved udfasning

af normreduktionen for kvælstof i 2016-18. Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Rap-

port. 2016/04. GEUS, 22 pp.

Hansen, B., Thorling, L., Dalgaard, T. og Erlandsen, M., 2011: Trend Reversal of Nitrate in Danish

Goundwater – a Reflection of Agricultural Practices and Nitrogen Surpluses since 1950. Environmen-

tal Science and Technology, vol. 45 nr. 1 pp 228-234.

Hansen, B., Dalgaard, T., Thorling, L., Sørensen, B., Erlandsen, M., 2012: Regional analysis of

groundwater nitrate concentrations and trends in Denmark in regard to agricultural influence. Biogeo-

sciendes Disucssion paper, 9, 5321-5346, 2012.

http://www.biogeosciences-dis-

cuss.net/9/5321/2012/bgd-9-5321-2012.html

Hansen, B., Thorling, L., Schullehner, J., Termansen, M. & Dalgaard, T., 2017: Groundwater nitrate

response to sustainable nitrogen management. Scientific Reports, 7, 8566. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-

017-07147-2.

Jørgensen, L.F.; Stockmarr, J., 2009: Groundwater monitoring in Denmark: characteristics, perspec-

tives and comparison with other countries.

Hydrogeology Journal

2009, 17, 827-842

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Thorling,

L.,

Ditlefsen, C., Ernstsen, V., Hansen, B., Johnsen, A.R., og Troldborg, L. 2019: Grund-

vand. Status og udvikling 1989 – 2018. Teknisk rapport, GEUS 2019.

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4. Revision of the Vulnerable

Zones

According to Article 3 (5) in the Nitrates Directive (1991/676/EEC), member states shall be exempt

from the obligation to identify specific vulnerable zones, if they establish and apply action pro-

grammes, referred to in Article 5 in accordance with this Directive throughout their national territory.

Denmark has established and applied action programmes for the whole territory since the first Action

Plans in the 1980’s.

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5. Development, promotion and

implementation of code of

good practice

According to article 3 (5) in the Nitrates Directive the Danish Nitrates Action Programme applies to the

whole national territory. The Danish Nitrates Action Programme consists of the measures in annex III

and the measures in the code of good agricultural practice in annex II.

Measures according to code of good practice pursuant to the Nitrates Directive, annex II, are included

in the Nitrate Action Programme as mandatory measures equivalent to the measures included in the

programme pursuant to the directive, annex III. Description of the measures, according to code of

good practice, is therefore included in the following chapter.

In the following chapter 6, the principle measures in the Nitrate Action programme are described

along with the specific implementation, changes in the regulation effected during the period 2016 to

2019 (both years included) and the promotion of the elements in the programme.

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6. Principle measures applied in

the Action programme

In this chapter, the principle measures in the Nitrate Action programme are described along with the

specific implementation, changes in the regulation effected during the programme period and the pro-

motion of the elements in the programme. References of executive orders etc., which may be regu-

larly updated, will be the version of the order that was active on December 31

of 2019.

At present, the Nitrates Directive is implemented in the following legislation as part of the Danish Ac-

tion programme or as additional measures according to Article 5, paragraph 5:

•

Act on Environmental protection cf. Executive Order no. 1218 (25/11/2019) with subsequent

amendments.,“Lov om miljøbeskyttelse, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 1218 af lov af 25. november 2019

med senere ændringer.”, see link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/1218

•

Act on agricultural use of fertilizer and plant cover. “Lov nr. 338 af 2. april 2019 om jordbrugets an-

vendelse af gødning og om næringsstofreducerende tiltag”, see link:

https://www.retsinforma-

tion.dk/eli/lta/2019/338

•

Act No 256 of 21 March 2017 on Livestock Husbandry and Use of Fertilizers with subsequent

amendments, “Lov om husdyrbrug og anvendelse af gødning, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr.520 af 1. Maj

2019, see link

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/520

•

Executive Order No 1176 of 23 July 2020 on Environmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and

the Storage and Use of Fertilisers,” Bekendtgørelse om miljøregulering af dyrehold og om opbeva-

ring og anvendelse af gødning” See link: https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2020/1176 .

•

Executive Order No 1166 of 13 July 2020 on Agricultural Use of Fertilisers in the planning period

2020/2021, “Bekendtgørelse om jordbrugets anvendelse af gødning i planperioden 2020/2021”.

See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2020/1166.

The Order is re-issued yearly and the fer-

tilization standards are re-calculated regularly.

•

Executive Order No 66 of 28 January 2020 on Nutrient-Reducing Measures and Cultivation-Related

Measures in Agriculture for the planning period 2020/2021, “ Bekendtgørelse om næringsstofreduc-

erende tiltag og dyrkningsrelaterede tiltag i jordbruget for planperioden 2020/2021”. See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2020/66.

The Order is re-issued yearly.

•

Consolidated Act on Water extraction no 118 of 22 February 2018

Other regulation is currently under preparation.

From 2016-2019 the Nitrate Directive was implemented in the following legislation as part of the Dan-

ish Action programme or as additional measures according to Article 5, paragraph 5:

•

Act on Environmental protection cf. Executive Order no. 1218 (25/11/2019) with subsequent

amendments.,“Lov om miljøbeskyttelse, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 1218 af lov af 25. november 2019

med senere ændringer.”, see link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/1218

•

Act No 388 of 2 April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer and plant cover. “Lov nr. 338 af 2. april

2019 om jordbrugets anvendelse af gødning og om næringsstofreducerende tiltag” , see link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/338

Previously: Act No 433 og 3 may 2017 on agricul-

tural use of fertiliser and on plant cover.

•

Act No 256 of 21 March 2017 on Livestock Husbandry and Use of Fertilizers with subsequent

amendments, “Lov om husdyrbrug og anvendelse af gødning, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 520 af 1.

Maj 2019, see link

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/520

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•

Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry

and the Storage and Use of Fertilisers,” Bekendtgørelse om miljøregulering af dyrehold og om

opbevaring og anvendelse af gødning” See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/760

Previously: Order on commercial livestock, livestock manure, silage, etc. The Order is re-issued

yearly

•

Executive Order No 762 of 29 July 2019 on Agricultural Use of Fertilisers in the planning period

2019/2020, “Bekendtgørelse om jordbrugets anvendelse af gødning i planperioden 2019/2020”.

See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/762

The Order is re-issued yearly and the

fertilization standards are re-calculated regularly.

•

Executive Order No 759 of 29 July 2019 on Nutrient-Reducing Measures and Cultivation-Re-

lated Measures in Agriculture for the planning period 2019/2020, “ Bekendtgørelse om

næringsstofreducerende tiltag og dyrkningsrelaterede tiltag i jordbruget for planperioden

2019/2020”. See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/759

The Order is re-issued

yearly.

•

Executive Order No 739 of 12 July 2019 on national subsidy for nitrogen-reducing measures

(voluntary targeted regulation), “Bekendtgørelse om nationalt tilskud til kvælstofreducerende

virkemidler”. See link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/739

•

Consolidated Act on Water extraction no 118 of 22 February 2018. In Danish ”Bekendtgørelse af

lov om vandforsyning m.v.” link:

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2018/118

An overview of the implementation of Annex II and Annex III of the Nitrates Directive as manda-

tory measures in the Danish Nitrate Action Programme in 2019 is given in Table 6.1. The specific

measures are described for each litra in annex II and annex III and measures, according to art. 5

(5), can be found in text set in bold italic type in Table 6.1.

Note that the overview of the implementation of the programme is given for the legal texts valid by

the end of 2019. Changes in the implementation are described for each element in the overview in

Table 6.1. Changes in the legal texts in effect in 2020 are not included in the legal references in

the overview.

The exact text of the orders, as they were in 2019, can be found in Danish on Legal Information

(“Retsinformation”, see respective links given in the list above). Only the paragraphs in the over-

view in Table 6.1 are legal elements, implementing the Nitrates Directive.

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Table 6.1 Implementation of the Nitrates Directive in national orders during the period 2016-2019 for each

litra in the Annex II and III of the Directive and art. 5(5), and changes of the implementation during the

same period

Nitrates Directive, annex II and III,

art. 5(5).

Annex II A 1. Periods when the land ap-

plication of fertilizer is inappropriate

Implementation in national order by 2019

Indication of changes during the period 2016-2019

§ 28 of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmental

Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of Fertilis-

ers

In the period from harvest, though no later than 1. October, to 1.

February, liquid manure or digestate from vegetable biomass

may not be applied – with exemptions.

Changes compared to previous Order on commercial livestock, live-

stock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015:

Special rules for application of root vegetable washing water and veg-

etable juices.

Annex II A 2. The land application of fer-

tilizer to steeply sloping ground

§ 29 (6) (7) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environ-

mental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of

Fertilisers

Manure, degassed plant biomass, and mineral fertilizer must not

be applied on sloping areas.

No changes compared to previous Order on commercial livestock,

livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015..

Annex II A 3. The land application of fer-

tilizer to water-saturated, flooded, frozen

or snow-covered ground

§ 29 (5) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmen-

tal Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of Ferti-

lisers

Manure, digestate from plant biomass, silage effluent, residual

water and mineral fertilizer must not be applied in a manner with

risk of run-off, including water-saturated, flooded, frozen or

snow-covered soil.

No changes compared to previous Order on commercial livestock,

livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015.

§ 29 (5) (8) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environ-

mental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of

Fertilisers

Manure, digestate, silage effluent, residual water and mineral fer-

tilizer must not be applied 2 m from watercourses.

No change compared to previous Order on commercial livestock, live-

stock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015.

§ 8 (1), § 9, § 11, § 12, § 13 (1) and (2), § 14 (1) and (3), § 15, § 16, §

18 (1), § 19 (1), (2), (4) and (7), § 22, § 23, § 24 (1), § 25, § 26 of Or-

der on commercial livestock, livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of

26/11/2015

Stables, stalls, etc. shall be designed in such a way that ground-

water and surface water is not polluted.

Capacity of storage facilities for manure must be adequate (spec-

ified). Adequate storage capacity may be satisfied by storage on

Annex II A 4. The conditions for land ap-

plication of fertilizer near water courses

Annex II A 5. The capacity and construc-

tion of storage vessels for livestock ma-

nures, including measures to prevent

water pollution by run-off and seepage

into the groundwater and surface water

of liquids containing livestock manures

and effluents from stored plant materials

such as silage.

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other property or delivery to the biogas plant, manure treatment

plant or manure storage facility.

Solid manure must be stored in accordance with the correct pro-

visions. When storing manure it must be ensured that surface

water from the surrounding areas cannot seap into the manure

storage. Compost with a dry matter content of at least 30% may

be stored in the field, if complying with certain requirements.

Manure stored in the field, deep litter and processed manure,

compost with a dry matter percentage greater than or equal to 12

must be covered with waterproof material.

Silage must be stored in a silage storage facility or wrapped in

waterproof material. Silage effluent must be discharged through

purpose-designed drainage.

Storage vessels for liquid manure, silage effluent, digestate and

residual water must be constructed of materials which are re-

sistant, impermeable to moisture. The vessels must be dimen-

sioned in relation to capacity, so that they can withstand the in-

fluence, including from stirring, covering and emptying. Drains

from stables/stalls, manure yards, silage stocks, cesspools, and

pump wells shall be run through impermeable closed pipes and

shall lead to liquid manure containers.

No changes compared to previous Order on commercial livestock,

livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015.

Annex II A 6. Procedures for the land ap-

plication, including rate and uniformity of

spreading, of both chemical

fertilizer and livestock manure, that will

maintain nutrient losses to water at an

acceptable level.

§ 27 (2) , 29 (1) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Envi-

ronmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use

of Fertilisers

Application of liquid manure and digestate may only be carried

out by means of trailing hoses, trailing foot/shoe applicators or

by injection.

Changes compared to previous Order on commercial livestock, live-

stock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015:

Clarification of how deposition should take place.

Annex II B 7. Land use management, in-

cluding the use of crop rotation systems

and the proportion of the land area

devoted to permanent crops relative to

annual tillage crops;

§ 41 (1), Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer

and plant cover (Fertilizer Act)

§ 11 (1) and (5), Executive Order No. 762 of 29. July 2019 on Agricul-

tural Use of Fertilisers in the planning period 2019/2020Farms

sub-

ject to registration in the Fertilizer Register pursuant to the Ferti-

lizer Act must report a fertilizer plan in a dedicated template with

a field map showing all cultivated and uncultivated areas and the

field crops. The farms must do this no later than 10 September

after the planning period. The farms must submit the plans elec-

tronically using a self-service IT facility on the Danish Agricul-

tural Agency website.

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Change compared to previous Order:

With the new Fertilizer Act,

farms were obliged to submit their fertilizer planning to the Agency,

and not only to prepare the plan and keep it on-farm.

The plan should

be prepared

in a dedicated template with a field map showing all culti-

vated and uncultivated areas and the field crops.

In addition, the deadline for submission of the final plan was moved

forward to 10 September from a previous deadline for preparation of

the plan in April the year after.

These changes contributed with

greater transparency and a better overview of commitments for the

farmer

as well as improved conditions for control by the Agency of

farm compliance with the commitments.

Annex II B 8. The maintenance of a mini-

mum quantity of vegetation cover during

(rainy) periods that will take up the

nitrogen from the soil that could other-

wise cause nitrate pollution of water;

§ 3 (1)- (4) in Executive Order No 759 of 29 July 2019 on Nutrient-Re-

ducing Measures and Cultivation-Related Measures in Agriculture for

the planning period 2019/2020

§ 38 in Act No 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer and

plant cover.

General requirement for mandatory catch crops on

farms nationwide on a certain percentage of the area on the hold-

ing.

Agricultural enterprises with crop or livestock or combinations

thereof with a certain annual turnover from crops or livestock, or

combinations thereof and a total area of 10 hectares or more,

shall establish a minimum amount of catch crops.

Changes

The new executive order included provisions on the reporting of catch

crops with requirement to report at field level and to enclose a field

map, provisions for mandatory reporting of changes between planned

and actually laid out catch crops. Also, new flexible sowing deadlines

for catch crops were introduced, where postponement of the sowing is

accepted at the expense of a lower farm nitrogen quota in the plan-

ning period. Requirements for livestock catch crops and associated

rules were transferred from the Livestock Manure Order to the Nutri-

ent-reducing Measures Order in order to streamline regulation con-

cerning commitments on catch crops. The order also introduced a

new sanctioning practice (fines rather than quota reduction).On

December 2015, the Danish government and supporting political par-

ties in the Danish Parliament reached an agreement on a Food and

Agricultural Package. The agreement included a diverse package of

measures, initiating a shift in environmental regulation of the agricul-

tural sector from a general regulation to a more targeted approach.

One central element in the agreement was to roll back the percentage

reduction of the annual nitrogen application standards for farming,

which had previously been applied. The standards had previously

been reduced by approximately 20% compared to the economically

optimal standard level. In order to avoid an increase in nitrate leaching

due to this adjustment, the Danish government in 2017 introduced a

number of measures, including an intermediate N reduction initiative

to promote the targeted sowing of additional catch crops. The targeted

scheme comprised of a de-minimis aid scheme for voluntary estab-

lishment of additional catch crops combined with an additional obliga-

tory N-reduction requirement on farmers, in case the voluntary

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Annex II B 9. The establishment of ferti-

lizer plans on a farm-by-farm basis and

the keeping of records on fertilizer

Use

scheme did not reach its targets. The scheme contributed with N ef-

fect to Denmark’s continued fulfilment of the objectives of the Di-

rective in 2017-2019.

Also during the period, a number of amendments to provisions on

compulsory catch crops were made, including changes in the conver-

sion factors between catch crops and alternative nitrates-reducing ac-

tions and adding new plants species to the list of plants allowed for

the compulsory catch crops.

§ 25 and § 42 (1), Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of

fertilizer and plant cover.

§ 11 (1) and (5), § 12 (1) and § 14 (5) in Executive Order No. 762 of

29 July 2019 on Agricultural Use of Fertilisers in the planning period

2019/2020.

Requirement to prepare a fertilizer plan and a fertilizer account

for each holding.

Farms subject to registration in the Fertilizer Register pursuant

to the Fertilizers Act must report a fertilizer plan in a dedicated

template showing all cultivated and uncultivated areas, a field

map and the field crops. The farms must do this no later than 10

September after the end of the planning period. The farms must

submit the plan electronically using a self-service IT facility on

the Danish Agricultural Agency website.

By the end of March each year, farmers are obliged to submit

their farm fertilization account containing information on the pre-

vious cropping season (planning period August-July) to the Dan-

ish Agricultural Agency for registration and control.

Change:

Previously, the farms were not obliged to submit the fertilizer plan to

the Agency, only to prepare it and keep it on-farm.

Annex II B 10. The prevention of water

pollution from run-off and the downward

water movement beyond the reach

of crop roots in irrigation systems

§ 22 Consolidated Act on Water extraction no 118 of 22 Janu-

ary 2018

Farmers need permission for water intake for irrigation. Permis-

sions are issued for a limited period.

In addition, the need for irrigation is included when calculating

nitrogen fertilizer standards,

see Annex III, 1.3.

No changes.

Annex III, 1, 1. Periods when the land

application of certain types of fertilizer is

prohibited;

See under Annex II A1

§ 28 (1-6) (9-13) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Envi-

ronmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use

of Fertilisers

See Annex II A 5 above.

Annex III, 1, 2. The capacity of storage

vessels for livestock manure; this capac-

ity must exceed that required for storage

throughout the longest period during

which land application in the vulnerable

zone is prohibited, except

where it can be demonstrated to the

competent authority that any quantity of

manure in excess of the

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actual storage capacity will be disposed

of in a manner which will not cause harm

to the environment;

Annex III, 1, 3. Limitation of the land ap-

plication of fertilizers, consistent with

good agricultural practice and taking into

account the characteristics of the vulner-

able zone concerned […]

§ 12 and § 13 (1), Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of

fertilizer and plant cover § 1 bkg. nr. 210 af 17. marts 2020 om om

kvælstofprognosen for planperioden 2019/2020

§ 29 (6) , § 26 (1) (2) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on

Environmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and

Use of Fertilisers

Application of fertilizers

§ 12 of Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer and

plant cover

In each plan period, farms subject to registration in the Fertilizer

fertilizer purposes than the fertilizer quota calculated for the

farm.

For each plan period, a farm’s total fertilizer quota for nitrogen

must be calculated as the sum of the quotas for each farm field.

For each field the quota must be calculated on basis of the size

of the field, the crop, the pre-crop and the nitrogen standard of

the crop.

§ 27 of Order on commercial livestock, livestock manure, silage, etc.

no. 1318 of 26/11/2015.

The nutrients in manure, digestate, silage effluent and residual

water may only be applied to crops with a nitrogen standard or a

normative standard for phosphorus and potassium.

§ 3-9 of Executive Order No. 762 of 29. July 2019 on Agricultural Use

of Fertilisers in the planning period 2019/2020

The yearly amount of nitrogen permitted at farm level is calcu-

lated taking into account the characteristics of the area and is

based on a balance between the foreseeable nitrogen require-

ment of the crops and the nitrogen supply to the crops from the

soil and from fertilization.

The nitrogen standards for each crop are determined and up-

dated regularly. The optimal relationship between the nitrogen

requirements of the crops and nitrogen supply is set every year

on basis of field trials. This is done for four different soil types

and for irrigated sandy soil. In addition, the relationship between

prices for nitrogen and crops is taken into account, and the opti-

mal fertilization level is calculated for each crop.

Due to the varying abilities to retain nutrients, different soil types

are divided into four categories with different nitrogen standards

for the same crop. Irrigation is taken into consideration by the

authorities when the specific standards are set. Yearly variations

in temperature and extent of rainfalls in the wintertime are also

taken into account.

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The fertilizing content of nitrogen in the livestock manure must

be calculated using stipulated standards. Standards are set for

different types of livestock and with respect to the housing sys-

tem. If the production deviates from standard, e.g. slaughter

weight, the standard figures must be corrected, using standard

corrections formulas. A large percentage of the nitrogen con-

tents of applied livestock manure must be included in the ac-

counting of overall application of nitrogen fertilizer on the farm.

Minimum application efficiency rates are imposed on each type

of manure. Thus, the possibility to use additional mineral ferti-

lizer up to the fertilizer quota is restricted.

§ 29 (6) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmen-

tal Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of Ferti-

lisers - See under Annex II A2

§ 26 (1) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmen-

tal Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of Ferti-

lisers

Changes:

Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer and plant

cover was a continuation of the previous fertilizer Act on agricultural

use of fertilizer and plant cover no. 500 (12/05/2013) as amended by

Act no 576 (04/05/2015). The new Act also mandated the shift in ferti-

lizer regulation from general regulation to a more targeted regulation.

The 22

December 2015, the Danish government reached a political

agreement in Parliament on different measures to make a shift from

general environmental regulation of agriculture to a more targeted ap-

proach (Food and Agricultural package). The aim was to improve the

ability for farmers to produce at the same time more environmentally

and economically sustainably. A central element of the agreement

was to roll back the general percentage reduction of nitrogen fertilizer

standards from economically optimal levels, which had previously

been applied.

In order to avoid an increase in nitrate leaching due to this adjust-

ment, a number of compensatory measures were established. Among

these, a targeted nitrates-reducing obligatory scheme was designed.

It consisted of a first round with a de-minimis aid scheme for voluntary

targeted establishment of additional catch crops followed by an oblig-

atory targeted N-reduction requirement on farmers, in case the volun-

tary scheme did not reach its targets (see Annex II B8).

Also in 2017, a revised regulation addressing phosphorus was intro-

duced. Until then the Danish harmony rules had regulated the applica-

tion of phosphorus in an indirect way: by setting limitations based on

the amount of manure-N applied to the field. As the N/P-ratio is differ-

ent for the various livestock types, the level of indirect P limitation var-

ied correspondingly. Instead was introduced direct P application ceil-

ings at different levels throughout the country, depending on geo-

graphical location and livestock manure type.

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§ 26 (1) of Executive Order No 760 of 30 June 2019 on Environmental

Regulation of Animal Husbandry and the Storage and Use of Fertilis-

ers: Clarification with requirements that crops are covered by nitrogen

norm in Act No. 338 of 2. April 2019 on agricultural use of fertilizer

and plant cover

Annex III, 2 These measures will ensure

that, for each farm or livestock unit, the

amount of livestock manure applied to

the land each year, including by the ani-

mals themselves, shall not exceed a

specified amount per hectare.

The specified amount per hectare be the

amount of manure containing 170 kg N.

§ 26 (1) § 34 (1), (2) and (4) and § 41 of Executive Order No 760 of

30 June 2019 on Environmental Regulation of Animal Husbandry and

the Storage and Use of Fertilisers

A maximum of 170 kg N per hectare (previously 1.4 livestock

units per hectare equivalent to 140 kg N pr. Ha) per planning pe-

riod of manure and degassed plant biomass may be applied on

agricultural holdings.

The quantities of manure applied to land as well as area for

spreading manure (harmony area) are calculated on the basis of

new specified methods where a holding may apply up to 170 kg.

N. pr. from livestock manure on a harmony area. If an agricultural

holding has greater quantities of manure available, including ma-

nure received from other farms, than what can be applied to

spreading area, agreements shall ensure that excess manure is

disposed to/for by specified solutions. The operator must be able

to document compliance with the harmony rules.

General rules has been introduces to counteract the increased

risk to phosphorus loss to the aquatic environment.

Derogation (Commission decision of December 6th 2018): On ag-

ricultural holdings with a yearly production of nitrogen in live-

stock manure above 300 kg of which at least two thirds are from

cattle, can apply livestock manure containing up to 230 kg nitro-

gen per hectare per planning period when in compliance with

certain conditions.

Change compared to previous Order on commercial livestock, live-

stock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of /06/2015 regarding calculation

method. See above.

§ 11, § 12, § 18, § 23 (2), § 28 (2), § 30 (5), § 31 (1), (3) and (4) in Or-

der on commercial livestock, livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 1318 of

26/11/2015?

Regulation of storage and spreading of anaerobically digested

plant biomass.

Regulation of land application of fertilizer near watercourses.

Regulation of storage of washing water.

Additional measures according to Article

5, paragraph 5

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Reduced harmony rules for manure and degassed plant biomass

for farms, producing slaughter pigs, poultry and fur animals to

1.4 LU/ha (instead of 1.7 LU/ha).

The Order on commercial livestock, livestock manure, silage, etc. no. 764 of 28/06/2012 has been used as refer-

ence in the last Danish report according to Article 10 in the Nitrates Directive for the period 2008-2011 (5

period).

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7. Evaluation of the implementa-

tion and impact of the action

programme’s measures

7.1

Data concerning the territory of Denmark

Table 7.1 Data concerning the territory of Denmark

Reporting Period

Previous period

Average of 2012-2015

Total land area

hectare (ha)

Agricultural land, 1000 ha

Agricultural land available for application

of manure, 1000 ha

Permanent grass, 1000 ha

Perennial crops

(fruit trees, bushes and

energy crops), 1000 ha

Annual use of organic N from livestock

manure

, 1000 tons

Annual use of organic N from other

sources than livestock manure,

1000 tons

Annual use of N from fertilizer

(mineral N), 1000 tons

Number of farms

Number of farms with livestock

Dairy cattle, 1000 heads

Cattle, million heads

Slaughter Pigs, million/year

Poultry, million heads

Fur, million heads

Other (horse, sheep), 1000 heads

Manure N excretion per livestock category,

1000 tons/year

Cattle

Pigs

Others

Current period

Average of 2016-2019

4,309,800

2,648

2,460

2,615

2,507

211

220

5, 6

217

220

202

232

34,400

40,400

21,800

568

1.52

20.1

18.6

2.78

147

13,400

573

1.54

20.8

3.14

148

113

117

Without territories which are not part of the European Union (Greenland and the Faroe Islands)

Does not include data for Christmas trees

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This figure refers to Nitrogen in livestock manure (excreted Nitrogen minus losses in housing and stor-

ages)

Sources: The AgriFish Agency

, Statistics Denmark

, Aarhus University

, Danish Agriculture and Food

Council

7.2

Nitrogen discharges to the aquatic environment

The amount of Nitrogen, which has been discharged to the sea in the years 2016 to 2018, was within

a similar range as in the previous reporting period (Table 7.2). The discharges are recalculated every

year for each year. The discharges from previously reported years are lower in the latest discharge

due to a change in the modelling of the unmeasured areas

Table 7.2 Total nitrogen discharges from the Danish territory to the sea (both diffuse pollution

and point sources) (Source: NOVANA)

period

(2004-2007)

2004

Total N dis-

charge

(tons N)

Water-dis-

charge-nor-

malized N

discharge

(tons N)

period

(2008-2011)

2008

2011

period

(2012-2015)

2012

2015

period

(2016-2019)

2016

2018

2007

66,000

78,000

60,000

55,000

54,000

67,000

57,000

50,000

67,000

61,000

58,000

53,000

52,000

53,000

55,000

Data for 2019 not yet available

For water-discharge normalization, the total N discharge is calculated, corrected by assuming a fixed

standard water discharge for each respective year, whereas the actual annual water discharge has varied.

N discharge (ton N)

90000

80000

70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018

Total N discharge

Water discharge normalized N discharge

Figure 7.1: Total nitrogen discharges from the Danish territory to the sea from 2004 to 2018

(both diffuse pollution and point sources) (Source: NOVANA)

https://dce.au.dk/fileadmin/dce.au.dk/Udgivelser/Notatet_2020/N2020_8.pdf

Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Emne / Titel på publikation9

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Taking the climatic conditions into account, including especially precipitation, a decrease in annual

nitrogen discharge to the sea from over 100,000 tons N in the early 1990’s down to a level ranging

from 52,000 to 58,000 tons N/year in all the years 2008 to 2018 (water discharge-normalized, land-

based N discharge to the sea) has been observed (Table 7.2).

The total N discharge to the sea, presented in Table 7.2, has been corrected compared to earlier re-

ports. The estimated land based nutrient load of Danish coastal waters is based on data provided by

the national monitoring program NOVANA (Boutrup, S. et al. 2019

), which has been in operation

since 1989. During this period the methods for this estimation have been changed and the adjusted

methods have been applied to the full time series. These adjustments have resulted in some changed

quantifications of the total annual nutrient load, also for the years before 2012.

The watercourse station network and thus the measured catchment area (the area upstream of a wa-

tercourse station) has been increased as a result of the political Agreement of Food and Agriculture.

Measured N load from 237 stations is included in the estimated load when modelling the total diffuse

N load in 2018

. The measured catchment area (the area upstream of stations) has been expanded

from approx. 55% to cover approx. 61% of the total area. This expansion of the station network has

increased the measured catchment area in general, and in some coastal waters the proportion of

measured catchment area has increased considerably. At the same time, the uncertainty in the

measures has diminished, as a larger share of the area is measured instead of modelled. For the un-

measured catchments, the N load is calculated using empirical /statistical models for the quantity and

conversion of nitrogen in the surface water system, based on the DK-QNP model_v2, Windolf et al.

(2011b).

Simplified and in rounded numbers, it can be stated that approximately 10% of the climate-normalized

N discharge originates from point sources, e.g. waste water treatment plants. The diffuse, normalized

contribution has been app. 55,000 N/year in the years 2016 to 2018. In connection with the latest

River Basin Management Plans, the natural background contribution to N discharge has been esti-

mated – in rounded numbers – to account for approximately 20% of the N discharge to the sea. Con-

sequently, the share of N discharge to the sea, caused directly by agricultural activities within the

country, can be estimated to round about 70% of the total N discharge. However there are regional

differences according to the land use e.g. in the Sound (Øresund) where the contribution from

wastewater is higher than the national average due to the urban land use.

In the year 2018, 35 of the largest (> 50.000 PE) waste water treatment plants treated 50% of waste

water in Denmark. Table 7.3 gives an overview on the amount of N discharge from waste water.

Table 7.3 Nitrogen discharges to the aquatic environment with wastewater (Source: NOVANA)

Source

period

(2004-2007)

2004

Urban

waste water

Industrial

waste water

period

(2008-2011)

2008

3 500

2011

3 900

period

(2012-2015)

2012

3 800

2015

3 800

period

(2016-2019)

2016

3 400

2018

3 130

2007

3 620

4 030

500

400

310

220

330

340

370

This is a non-exhaustive list - there are more point sources than urban and industrial wastewater.

Data for 2019 not yet available

https://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR356.pdf

https://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR353.pdf

Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Emne / Titel på publikation9

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Additionally, the N discharge to the aquatic environment from households in rural areas, storm water,

storm water overflows and aquaculture sums up to circa 2,249 tons N/year in 2018. Two thirds are

discharged from fresh water plants and one third from plants in salty waters.

Literature

Windolf, J., Hans Thodsen, Lars Troldborg, Søren E. Larsen, Jens Bøgestrand, Niels B. Ovesen & Brian Kron-

vang, (2011)b: A distributed modeling system for simulation of monthly runoff and nitrogen sources, loads and

sinks for ungauged catchments in Denmark. J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 2645-2658. Kan downloades på

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2011/EM/c1em10139k

7.3

Evaluation of the implementation and impact of the action programmes’

measures

7.3.1

Nitrates in water leaving the root zone

This section deals with the general development in nitrate leaching from 1990 to 2018. Data for 2019

is not yet available. Information on agricultural practises is provided by Gitte Blicher-Mathiesen, Tina

Houlborg and Helle Holm (Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University), and is based on the annual

derogation report to the EU Commission for 2019.

This Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme (Danish abbreviation: LOOP) includes six small

agricultural catchments situated in various parts of the country in order to cover the variation in soil

type and rainfall and hence in agricultural practises. The farmers are interviewed every year about

livestock, crops and fertilisation and cultivation practises.

Development in modelled nitrate leaching in the Agricultural Catchment Monitoring

Programme (LOOP), 1990-2018

Nitrate leaching is modelled for every field in the LOOP catchments, based on the information pro-

vided by the farmers on agricultural practises and standard percolation values (calculated on the ba-

sis of the average climate for 1990-2010).

The trend in modelled nitrogen leaching from the agricultural area in the catchments from 1990 to

2018 (representing the hydrological years 1990/91 to 2017/18) is shown in Figure 7.2 as an average

for sandy and loamy catchments, respectively.

7.3.1.1

Figure 7.2 Modelled nitrate leaching in a standard climate for the fields of the Agricultural

Catchment Monitoring Programme, 1990/91-2017/2018 (Source: Danish Derogation Report

2019)

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Seen relative to the distribution of the main soil types in Denmark, the modelled nitrate leaching de-

creased by 43% during the period 1991 to 2003 due to the general improvement in agriculture and

fertilization practises. After 2003, there was a small increase in nitrate leaching, particularly on sandy

soils, probably caused by suspension of the set aside obligation. For the loamy catchments, the mod-

elled annual nitrate leaching was less affected by the change in set aside. The nitrate leaching was

relatively stable around 50 kg N ha

-1

during 2003-2013, decreasing with app. 8 kg N ha

-1

in 2014 and

2015 and increasing again to the level of 2003-2013 in 2016-2018. For the sandy catchments, the an-

nual leaching of 81 kg N ha

-1

in 2003 was relatively low. After this year, the leaching increased to an

interval of 83-93 kg N ha

-1

in the period 2004-2014, but decreased to a lower level than in 2003, being

in the interval of 77-79 kg N ha

-1

in 2015-2018.

The purpose of the root zone modelling is to show the effects of measures introduced to mitigate nu-

trient losses from agriculture. The modelling is therefore carried out for normalised growth conditions,

i.e. averaging the model output for a 20-year period: The model is run for each year in the 20-year pe-

riod and model outputs are then averaged for the period. The climatic data used cover the period

1990-2010. Actual measurements of nitrate leaching will show higher annual variations than the cli-

matic average of the modelled values as the measurements depend on the actual climate.

Measurements of nitrate in water leaving the root zone

In five out of the six Agricultural Monitoring Catchments (LOOP), water samples are collected regu-

larly at in total 30 sites. The samples represent the root zone water (approx. 1 m depth – 30 samples

per year) and the upper oxic groundwater (1.5-5 m depth – 6 samples per year). The measured con-

centrations are shown as annual average values for loamy and sandy soils, respectively, for the pe-

riod 1990/91-2017/18 (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3 Annual flow-weighted nitrate concentrations measured in root zone water and an-

nual average nitrate concentrations measured in upper oxic groundwater, the Agricultural

Catchment Monitoring Programme (LOOP) 1990/91-2017/18 (Source: Danish Derogation Re-

port 2019)

There is a strong inter-annual variation in the measured nitrate concentrations due to differences in

rainfall and temperature. Therefore, a long time series and a large number of measuring points are

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necessary to detect any statistically significant trend. Such data series are available from the Danish

Monitoring Programme. A statistical trend analysis – a Mann-Kendall test, incorporating annual varia-

tions in the mean annual flow-weighted nitrate concentrations for water leaving the root zone –

showed that concentrations decreased significantly by 1.2 and 2.6 mg NO

-1

for the measured

sites on loamy and sandy soils, respectively, and for the whole 26-year monitoring period from

1990/91 to 2015/16.

On loamy catchments, the measured nitrate concentrations in root zone water decreased from 61-155

mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 37-66 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 2011/12-

2015/16 and increased to 101 and 48 mg NO

-1

in the two years 2016/17 and 2017/18, respectively.

The high nitrate concentrations are seen in years with low percolation as observed on loamy soils in

2004/05, 2010/11 and in 2016/17. On sandy catchments, the nitrate concentration decreased from

73-207 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 54-73 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period

2011/12-2015/16 and increased to 99 and 84 mg NO

-1

in the two years 2016/17 and 2017/18, re-

spectively (Figure 7.3.).

After 2003/04, no statistically significant change in measured nitrate concentrations in soil water leav-

ing the root zone has been recorded. However, before 2011/12, high concentrations were temporarily

observed for sandy soils. This is most likely due to growth of crops with high leaching potential on

these fields, such as turnover of grassland, followed by cereals with no catch crops the following

years, growing of maize and winter rape etc.

It should be noted that the measurements of nitrate leaching originate from a small number of sam-

pling stations (27 stations). Furthermore, the measurements are affected by high crop yields, in partic-

ular in 2009, and effects of crop rotation, especially of grass in rotation. These conditions induce

higher inter-annual variations than seen in the modelled nitrate leaching, which covers a larger area

including approx. 126 farms.

In the upper groundwater (1.5-5.0 m below ground level), nitrate concentrations were lower than in

the root zone water, indicating nitrate reduction in the aquifer sediment between the bottom of the root

zone and the uppermost groundwater (Figure 7.3).

On loamy catchments, the measured nitrate concentrations in the upper oxic groundwater decreased

from 41-46 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 28-31 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period

2013/14-2017/18. On sandy catchments, the nitrate concentration decreased from 87-110 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 58-77 mg NO

-1

in the 5-year period 2013/14-2017/18.

7.3.2

Difference between input and output of nitrogen

In the annual reports of the national monitoring programme for the aquatic environment and nature

(NOVANA) is published the national usage of commercial fertilizer, which has decreased from

394,000 tons N in 1990 to 265,400 tons N in 2018. The data for 2019 is not yet available. Nitrogen

input in form of livestock manure has decreased from ca. 244,000 tons N in 1990 to approx. 224,000

tons N in 2018. The overall N-input consists of all sorts of fertilizer, including input from grazing as

well as N-fixation and atmospheric deposition. On the output side, the yield has been on a relatively

constant level with some inter-annual variations, especially in the early years and again from 2007

onwards. In 2018, a generally relatively low yield because of the drought has increased the N bal-

ance.

The annual surplus in the national field balance has fallen: from approx. 405,000 tons N in 1990 to

265,400 tons N in 2018, which corresponds to a reduction by 34%. There appears to be a slight in-

crease in N-balance in the last years as presented in Fig. 7.4. The Food and Agriculture Package of

2015 removed the general nitrogen quota reduction and hence permitted farmers to fertilize according

the economic optimum from 2016 and on. Following an anticipation that this could lead to an increase

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in nitrogen loss from the root zone, regulation to target root zone loss was implemented. The effects

of the targeted regulation are unlikely to show on a graph of N-balance representing N-application

and N-harvest. The weather’s influence on yields is showing in the N-balances of for example 2018,

where the N-surplus is higher than normal because of the drought causing low yield. However, 2018

was an unusually dry year resulting in a poor harvest.

Figure 7.4 Danish field balances for nitrogen (green line) (Source: NOVANA LOOP 2018

)

Since 1990, the utilization of nitrogen in animal slurry has improved significantly. This can be re-

garded as a result of binding N-norms, an increase in slurry storage capacity, a higher proportion of

slurry being spread during spring and summer and the investment in and use of advanced slurry ap-

plication techniques (Table 7.4).

Table 7.4 Overview of development in key parameters concerning the use of animal slurry

within the LOOP-monitoring programme in 1990 and during the reporting period (2016-2018,

data for 2019 not yet available) (Source: NOVANA LOOP 2018)

Parameter

Storage capacity for liquid animal slurry, corresponding to 9 months' production (% of LU)

For the different farm types:

Pigs

Cattle

Other

Spreading of liquid slurry during spring & summer (% of LU)

Slurry application with trail hose or injection (% of total N in liquid animal slurry applied)

Percentage applied by trail hose (%)

Percentage injected (%)

100

1990

2016

2017

2018

Broadspreading of animal slurry has been banned since 2003. Since 2011, farmers are obliged to in-

ject slurry on grass or bare soil. Probably because slurry acidification was accepted as an alternative

to injection since 2012, followed by trail hose application.

More detailed field balances, given in kg N per hectare, can be found in Table 7.5. Table 7.5 also

shows a significant decrease in application of commercial fertilizer since the 1990’s. While keeping

the amount of harvested N relatively constant since the late 1990’s, the N balance has, therefore, de-

creased since the late 1990’s.

https://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR352.pdf

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Table 7.5 Data on field balances for whole territory (kg N/ha) cultivated area until 2018 (Source:

NOVANA LOOP 2018)

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Year

Inorganic

Fertilizer

Livestock

manure

Sewage

sludge

Industrial

waste

Seeds

N-fixation

N-deposition

1990

142

1998

104

2007

2011

2015

2016

2017

2018

Applied

273

233

194

198

196

211

202

Harvested

N balance

Cultivated area

(1000 ha)

145

128

2788

115

118

2672

107

2744

113

2693

114

2663

117

2634

122

2593

100

102

2602

data for mineral fertiliser based on information from “Danmarks Statistik”

data for mineral fertiliser based on information from the Fertilizer Accounting System (since 2005)

data for livestock manure based on the Fertilizer Accounting System (2015-2018), earlier data on

livestock from Aarhus University (LOOP, 2018)

data for N-deposition is the sum of natural N-deposition and N-deposition, caused by agricultural ac-

tivities

since 2005 based on data from Fertilizer Accounting System

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Also the fertilizer usage for both Nitrogen and Phosphorus has during the years of the current report-

ing period (2016-2019, data for 2019 not yet available) remained at the same relatively low level from

2007 and onwards (Table 7.6). The data from year 2015 was not available during the last reporting

period, and is included here.

Table 7.6 Development in fertilizer usage until 2018, the year refers to the year of harvest

(Source: NOVANA LOOP 2018)

Year

Nitrogen (1000 tons N)

Mineral fertilizer

Livestock manure

Total N

400

244

283

278

202

238

204

228

210

216

242

219

237

218

224

1990

1998

2007

2011

2015

2016

2017

2018

760

623

530

520

555

546

527

Phosphorus (1000 tons P)

Mineral fertilizer

Livestock manure

40.4

54.6

20.7

55.9

13.4

45.9

10.8

41.3

13.3

46.1

13.3

44.3

20.8

43.0

14.8

43.9

Total P

98.5

84.0

66.1

58.9

66.2

64.4

70.5

65.0

incl. other sources: seeds, (sewage) sludge, industrial waste deposition and in the case of N also N-

fixation and other organic fertiliser

Literature:

Blicher-Mathiesen, G., Holm, H., Houlborg, T., Rolighed, J., Andersen, H.E., Carstensen, M.V., Jen-

sen, P.G., Wienke, J., Hansen, B. & Thorling, L. 2019. Landovervågningsoplande 2018. NOVANA.

Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 241 s. - Videnskabelig rapport nr. 352

http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR352.pdf

7.4

Percentage of farmers visited by the supervising authorities or their dele-

gates

The Danish Agricultural Agency, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark

Provisions on crop rotation, fertilizer planning and catch crops as well as provisions on rational fertili-

zation use taking into account physical, climatic conditions and irrigation among other parameters are

implemented in Danish Act 338/2019 on the “Farms’ use of Manure and on Plant Cover”, including

the annually revised “Statutory Order on Nutrient-reducing Actions and Cultivation-related measures

in the planning period”, “Statutory Order on agricultural use of fertilizer in the planning period” and

“Statutory Order on Nitrogen Prognosis”.

Administrative staff of the Danish Agricultural Agency control the provisions in the mentioned acts and

orders. Besides the administrative control, they also inspect farm compliance of the rules on the spot.

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Inspection on the spot covers control of crop rotation planning, including plant cover and catch crops,

fertilizer planning, fertilizer account, but also the provisions regarding application of the amount of

livestock manure to land each year (harmony rules) laid down in Statutory Order 66/2020 and

1176/2020, respectively.

In the planning period 2016/2017, the Danish Agricultural Agency carried out 121 inspections on the

spot and for the planning period 2016/2017, the Danish Agricultural Agency carried out 586 adminis-

trative control of submitted fertilizer accounts, regarding the orders mentioned above, corresponding

to approx. 2.0 % of all agricultural holdings obliged to submit a fertilizer account.

The on-spot inspections regarding fertilizer accounts support the control carried out on basis of the

annually submitted data in the fertilizer accounting system. During the on-site inspections, compliance

with the requirements of fertilizer accounts and requirements regarding use of fertilizers are con-

trolled. In the planning period 2016/2017, 121 inspections of fertilizer accounts were carried out. 2 of

these (1.7 %) were reported to the police for severe violations and 1 of these (0.8 %) have received

an administrative fine for a severe violation of the provisions on rational fertilizer use. This share illus-

trates a decrease in farms with severe violations, compared to the previous data from 2014 (9.6 %).

Additionally one (0.8 %) farmer was given an enforcement notice for a minor violation. The same 121

inspected farms were also controlled regarding the amount of livestock manure applied to land each

year (harmony rules). Two of these farmers (1.7 %) were reported to the police for severe violations

of the harmony rules.

The vast majority of all Danish farmers must submit data to the Fertilizer Accounting system each

year, which is administrated by the Danish Agricultural Agency. For the planning period 2016/2017,

35.866 farmers were obliged to submit a fertilizer account. All submitted fertilizer accounts ware auto-

matically checked at submission by the IT-system, according to a set of previously defined risk crite-

ria. The administrative control of these 586 fertilization accounts showed that 34 farms (5.8 %) ex-

ceeded the farms’ nitrogen quota by up to 6 kg N per hectare and they received a notification and rec-

ommendation (minor violation). 36 farms (6.1 %) exceeded the farms nitrogen quota from 6 kg N and

up to 9 kg N per hectare and they received a warning (minor violation). 15 farms (2.6 %) exceeded

the farms nitrogen quota by 9 kg N or more per hectare and they received an administrative fine. 12

farms (2.0 %) exceeded the farms nitrogen quota by 9 kg N or more per hectare and they were re-

ported to the police. The same 586 farms were also controlled regarding the amount of livestock ma-

nure applied to land each year (harmony rules). 24 farms (4.1 %) were reported to the police for se-

vere violations of the harmony rules. 22 farms (3.8%) are still under investigation.

In 2017 a new scheme on live stock catch crops were introduced. The individual requirement to es-

tablish catch crops for holdings using organic manure such as livestock manure were aimed at ensur-

ing the sufficient protection towards nitrogen leaching to sensitive Natura 2000-areas in catchment

areas, where the amount of applied organic manure has increased since 2007 and at contributing to

the reduction of nitrogen leaching to coastal water bodies, where a reduction of nitrate leaching is

necessary in order to obtain the environmental objective according to the River Basin Management

Plans (RBMP).

As part of the political agreement on the Food and Agricultural Package of December 2015, the re-

duction of the nitrogen application standards was removed. It was also agreed to develop a new nitro-

gen regulation, the “targeted nitrogen regulation”, which was to be implemented in 2019. The Danish

government introduced an intermediate initiative, the “targeted catch crops scheme”, to reduce N-

losses through promoting the establishment of additional catch crops in 2017 and 2018. The scheme

was designed to protect both groundwater bodies and coastal waters. The scheme was

designed as a de minimis aid scheme for voluntary establishment of additional catch crops. The tar-

geted regulation of nitrogen has contributed to the Danish implementation of the Nitrate Directive in

the period 2017 to 2019. From 2020, the regulation contributes to the implementation of the Water

Framework Directive.

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In 2019, the Danish Agriculture Agency carried out a total of 235 on-site inspections on catch crops

involving three national schemes on catch crops: Mandatory catch crops, livestock catch crops and

the targeted nitrogen regulation (targeted catch crops). The mandatory catch crops has a require-

ments on 10.7 % or 14.7%, respectively of the area to be covered with catch crops. In 2019, livestock

catch crops included in total around 27,500 ha and the targeted nitrogen regulation included in total

around 138,000 ha of catch crops.

The farmer may use alternative measures instead of catch crops in order to minimize the leaching of

nutrients e.g. establishing energy crops, early sowing of winter crops, reduction of the farms nitrogen

quota. Conversion factors are used to secure that the alternatives have the same nitrogen reduction

effect as catch crop.

In the non-compensated national schemes of mandatory general and livestock catch crops 19 of the

148 inspections (12.8 %) on crop rotation planning were reported to the police and 11 farmers (7.4 %)

received an enforcement notice for non-compliance with the requirements for the establishment of

catch crops.

This share on the national scheme illustrates an increase in farms with violations, compared to the

previous data from 2014 (3.1 % and 4.7 %, respectively). Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that

since 2014 two new schemes for catch crops has been introduced (livestock and targeted catch

crops), the rules for e.g. reporting and control of

catch crops have been changed and the rules of

sanctioning has been tightened. The new rules came into force shortly before the beginning of inspec-

tions and it is expected that the infringement rate will be lowering as farmers adjust to the rules.

The Danish Agriculture Agency continuously focuses on how to improve and streamline the control of

catch crops, and in recent years a significant proportion of the inspections of the targeted catch crops

are

designated

using satellite-based screening (e.g. including analysis of specific risk factors), which

is very effective compared to other methods of designating farms to control.

In 2019, there were 87

inspections of

the targeted catch crops. Approximately 60 % of the farms

designated

using satellite-

based screening were sanctioned, however less than 5 % of the inspections of targeted catch crops

resulted in a sanction, if one disregard the cases that were selected for inspections using satellite-

based screening. For the targeted catch crops, non-compliance is sanctioned with both a reduction in

the subsidy and a reduction of the fertilizer nitrogen quota for the farm corresponding to the non-com-

pliance.

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8. Economic analysis with re-

spect to nitrogen reduction in

Denmark 2016-2019

Brian H. Jacobsen, Institute of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of

Copenhagen

The River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) from 2016 were based on the preliminary RBMPs from

December 2014 and the Food and Agricultural Package (FAP) from December 2015. The plans cover

the period from 2016-2021. This economic analysis covers four parts where the first part deals with the

economic gain from higher nitrogen norms as part of the FAP. This is followed by three sections eval-

uating the three major parts of the regulation in RBMP regarding surface water quality. The three parts

are: 1) Collective measures 2) Environmental Focus Areas and 3) The Targeted Regulation.

8.1 Higher nitrogen norms and economic gains

As part of the FAP, the requirement regarding 60,000 ha of targeted catch crops was no longer required,

just as the new Government in 2015 abandoned the requirement regarding riparian zones. Another key

part of the FAP was to increase the N-quota to the economic optimum. The N-quota was introduced as

a 10% reduction of the quota in 1998, but the reduction increased over time to 18% reduction in

2014/2015 due to the decisions regarding the maximum size of the N-quota made over time and other

changes (e.g. reduction of set a side).

With the FAP, the nitrogen application was increased and so the N-quota was 7% under the optimum

in 2015/16 and back to the optimal level in 2016/17. The environmental impact of this change was much

discussed prior to and after the decision regarding the FAP. It was estimated that the N-application in

total increased by around 60,000 tonnes of N as it was expected that some farms (e.g. organic farms)

would not increase their application. In total, the average application increased by ca. 20 kg N/ha (14

%) when the application in 2016 and 2017 is compared with the levels in 2015 (according to the annual

fertilizer account from all farms). The norms for e.g. winter wheat on clay soils increased by 46 kg N/ha

or 28 % from 2015 to 2017. The reason for this higher increase was an increase in the value of protein

in the calculations. The overall increase in the total N-quota has been around 30-35,000 tons N when

2017 and 2018 are compared with 2015 (Jacobsen and Ørum, 2021; Blicher-Mathiesen et al., 2019).

This is lower than the expected prior to the FAP (Børgesen et al., 2015). The lower increase is partly

due to an increase in the area with spring barley which lowers the average N-quota per ha. Also farmers

had, in the years before, converted catch crops to higher N-norms and the yearly adjustment made the

jump to optimal quotas smaller than expected. Analyses made of the fertiliser accounts show that

roughly around 93-95% of the N-quota has been used throughout the whole period 2013-2019 (Blicher-

Mathiesen et al., 2019; Jacobsen, 2019). Typically, the organic farms do not use the full quota.

Analyses of the yield indicates an increase of 1.9 hkg/ha in winter wheat and 0.6 hkg/ha in spring barley

when yields in 2016, 2017 and 2019 is compared to 2013-2015 (Eriksen et al., 2020). The yields over

time are shown in figure 8.1. In 2018, there was a drought and so this year has been left out of the

comparison above (Eriksen et al., 2020).

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Figure 8.1. Yield in winter wheat and barley for 2013-2019.

Source: Danish Statistics (2020)

The change back to optimal quota also gives an opportunity to compare the effect with the predicted

effect based on trials. The latest analyses have shown that a 10% and 20% reduction of the N-quota in

winter wheat is expected to reduce yields by 0.6 and 2.3 hkg/ha (Eriksen et al., 2020). The reduction in

protein content was expected to be 0.4 and 0.9% respectively and the net cost is 59 and 234 DKK/ha.

For spring barley the yield reduction is 0.5 hkg/ha and 1.6 hkg/ha and the net costs are 30 and 120

DKK/ha. Here the reduction from a 10% and 20% decrease in the N-quota on the protein content is

expected to be 0.3% and 0.6% units (Eriksen et al., 2020). In other words, the models seem to predict

a change which is similar to the observed change in yields until now. With more years, a more precise

estimate can be seen of the ex-post yield increase. In genera,l the trials will have a higher yield impact

than the average of the national yields. The long term yield reductions are predicted to be lower than

in previous analyses, and the losses are estimated to be 6-18 and 23-73 DKK/ha for winter wheat

depending on the time horizon used (3 or 100 years) (Eriksen et al., 2020).

The economic value of a higher N-quota due to the FAP was estimated to be around 1200-1800 million

DKK per year based on a preliminary assessment of the yield losses with a 21% reduction in the N-

quota (6-8 hkg/ha) (Jacobsen, 2016; Jacobsen and Ørum, 2016). The updated estimate of the yield

effects are lower and so the economic gain from higher quota is lower than expected in FAP. The

calculations would indicate an economic gain from a higher N-quota of around 400 - 600 million DKK

(54 - 80 million €/year) or around 150 – 230 DKK/ha (See Jacobsen, 2016; Jacobsen, 2020).

8.2 Collective measures

The collective measures include wetlands, mini-wetlands, afforestation and set-a-side of low-lying ar-

eas. For the wetlands, the target was close to 14,500 ha for 5 years which is high compared to around

5,000 ha which has been achieved for the previous 5 years (see table 8.1). It is expected to get gradu-

ally more difficult to establish these sites as wetlands have been a part of the planning for 20 years.

Mini wetlands was a new measure and an ambitious target of 100,000 ha catchment to the mini wet-

lands was set as the target in FAP (Graversgaard et al., 2021).

Wetlands often include more farmers, whereas the mini wetlands are decided and created by one

farmer. The measures are partly aimed at the same farmers. The measures are perceived as collective

measures in that farmers implementing this on one’s own farm for the benefit of the catchment, but

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there is no direct reward such as lower requirements regarding targeted regulation on your own farm

which could offer a carrot for participation.

Table 8.1. Expected implementation of collective measures (2016-2021)

Area

(ha)

Wetlands

Mini wetlands

Afforestation

Set a side (low areas)

Total

14,572

1,002

5,000

2,955

20,574

Reduced N-loss to the sea

(tonne N/year)

1,253

900

150

2,452

Total cost

(mio. DKK)

1,705

550

175

325

2,755

Note: Mini wetlands would be 1% of the catchment. A typical catchment related to one mini wetland

(one ha) is expected to be 100 ha. Due to reduction in the effects per ha, the catchment area involved

has been increased from 100,000 ha to 138,500 ha.

Source: Jacobsen, 2016

As shown in Table 8.2, the targets regarding mini wetlands have been difficult to reach by 2021. Affor-

estation and set-a-side have reached 54 and 85% respectively of the target. With respect to afforesta-

tion the uptake is larger than expected considering that some of the forest is established without subsidy

as they are located outside the areas where afforestation is promoted. In general the implementation

of the collective measures has been promoted intensively with the use of local catchment officers from

the Agricultural Advisory Service (SEGES).

Table 8.2. Ajusted assessment of collective measures and expectations towards 2021

Ajusted effect

(kg N/ha)

Wetlands

Mini wetlands

Afforestation

Set a side (low areas)

Total

Reductions still to be achieved

Source: MFVM, 2020

130

6,5

Ajusted total effect

(tons N)

977

332

128

1.517

936

Ajusted area (ha)

7.513

51.031

2.688

3.197

Fulfillment (%)

Table 8.3 shows the costs and the cost effectiveness of the measures at the outset. With the lower

effect of the mini-wetlands, the costs per kg N increase from 55 to 76 DKK/kg N (in the sea).

Table 8.3. Collective measures and costs per ha and per kg N (2016-2021)

Efficiency

(ton N)

Wetlands

Mini wetlands

Private afforestation

Set a side (low laying fields)

I alt

1,253

900

150

2,453

Efficiency

(kg N/ha)

Investment

(DKK pr. ha)

123,000

550,000

35,000

110,000

Yearly cost pr ha

based on 20 years

(DKK pr. ha)

7,860

49,362 *)

2,352

7,391

Cost efficiency

(based on 20 years)

(DKK/kg N)

55*)

146

*) For Mini wetlands, a time span of 15 years has been used. The effect has since been reduced to

6.5 kg N/ha which changes the cost effectiveness to 76 DKK/kg N.

Source: Jacobsen, 2016

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8.3 Measures related to Greening and the CAP

As part of the FAP, the preliminary plans from 2014 regarding targeted catch crops and 25,000 ha of

riparian zones along the streams were removed. So in order to fulfil the requirement regarding 5%

Environmental Focus Areas (EFA) farms had to choose more catch crops instead of the riparian zones

which farmers disliked (Jacobsen et al., 2017). Due to the exchange rate used in relation to greening

one ha of riparian zones requires 5 ha of catch crops. The net effect is a reduction in N-losses as 5 ha

catch crops replaced 1 ha riparian zone. As shown in table 8.4 this gave a larger positive environmental

effect without direct costs. It also shows that farmers are not keen to use riparian zones as a measure

(Jacobsen et al., 2017).

The target for more catch crops was after discussions with the EU commission, set at 145.100 ha in

2017 and 121.600 ha in 2018. This was done in order to to ensure that there was no negative effect of

the higher N-quota on especially groundwater and mainly in the southern part of Jutland) (see figure

8.2). This measure was in principle similar to the 123,000 ha targeted catch crops in the draft plans

which was removed in 2014. The area involved was very different as it was no longer the northern part

of Jutland.

Table 8.4. Measures related to Greening (2016-2021)

Efficiency

(kg N pr. ha)

Environmental Focus Areas

(2016-2021)

Targeted catch crops

(2017-2018)

Compensation

(kr. pr. ha)

Costs

(mio. kr.)

9,6

700

180

Effect (tons N)

5.532

2.467

7.999

Cost -eff. DKK/kg N

Sum

180

Note: The effect from EFA comes as it replaces 25,000 ha of riparian zones.

Source: Jacobsen, 2016

The increased targeting was based on some new approaches. Firstly, the areas where more catch

crops were required were based on the new id15 maps where the retention is given for an area of 1500

ha and for the whole catchment (see figure 8.2). This allowed the measures to be more targeted than

the regulation at the catchment level. As the requirements also related to groundwater, an implemen-

tation at the catchment level would have been covering far more area than was now the case. Secondly,

there was a requirement for each area (id/catchment) not per farm, which meant that some farmers

could implement more catch crops than required. This flexibility allowed farmers with more room in their

crop rotation to implement more and so farmers with less options could implement less. In total, this

reduced the overall costs for the farmers. Furthermore, the application was divided into three rounds to

ensure that the area which required the catch crops the most came first. The compensation given was

financed using Danish funds (not EU funding) and the compensation was set at 700 DKK/ha.

This approach was very much the front-runner for the approach adopted two years later regarding

targeted regulation (see next section). In the first year with targeted catch crops, the full requirement

was almost achieved, but in the second year around 10,000 ha was not achieved in the voluntary round,

which led to some farms having an obligatory requirement (without compensation) in the catchments

where the target was not reached (e.g. northern part of Jutland).

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Figure 8.2. Targeted catch crops in 2018

Source: LBST, 2018

8.4 Targeted regulation

Targeted regulation was introduced in 2019 with the aim of reducing N-losses further. The precise

nature of the regulation was not clear in the FAP. In the FAP, the implementation was intended to

happen over three years where 1/3 of the final target would be reached in 2019, 2/3 in 2020 and full

implementation in 2021. It was later changed so full implementation was implemented in 2020. The full

requirement was around 380,000 ha of catch crops in 2020 (MFVM, 2019). In 2019, the requirement

was 1.167 tonnes N or approximately 120,000 ha catch crops and the compensation was 529 kr. pr. ha

(Ørum et al., 2018).

As part of the FAP analyses an analysis was carried out in order estimate which measures would be

required to reach the target (Jacobsen, 2016). Again catch crops was a key measure (replacing the

targeted catch crops in 2017 and 2018). Furthermore, the model suggested using lower N-quota and

early sowing as the cheapest measures in the 90 catchments which were included in the analysis. As

mentioned earlier, the remaining 6,200 tonne N was moved to the next planning period (2021-2027).

The overall assessment in 2016 can be found in Table 8.5. The costs of targeted regulation were cal-

culated to be around 305 million DKK per year (41 mio. €).

Table 8.5. Measures regarding targeted regulation in order to reach a reduction of 3.640 tons N

in 2020.

Area

(ha)

Efficiency

(kg N/ha)

Effect

(tons N)

Costs

(1000 DKK)

Costs

(DKK/ha)

Cost effi-

ciency

(DKK//kg

105

239

1.657

Catch crops

N-quota reduction 7 %

N-quota reduction (+3 %)

N-quota reduction (+4 %)

155.582

1.272.354

113.041

1.426

814

37.783

85.248

9.043

243

173

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Set-a-side (rotation)

In between crops

Early seeding

Narrow riparian zones

Broad riparian zones

Set a side

Sum /average

Source: Jacobsen, 2016

11.661

175.348

142.630

575

273

16.654

186

600

295

273

3.640

44.311

63.125

1.669

1.039

63.284

305.514

3.800

360

2.904

3.800

238

105

249

831

232

The basic concept is a flexible implementation at the farm level so that farmers can chose the measures

which fit their farm the best. There is a national given exchange rate using the area with catch crops as

exchange. Using the same exchange rate across the country meant that the variation in effects of the

measures were not as targeted as it could have been. As an example the effect of catch crops on sandy

soils and clay soils are very different (12 vs. 45 kg N/ha in the root zone). However, it allowed for an

implementation that was understandable and yet flexible. With more detailed levels, the data require-

ments would have been even greater. The compensation of 529 DKK/ha covers the costs for the aver-

age farmer linked to the Rural Development Program, but especially pig farmers might have higher

costs as they need the high yields from winter wheat and so there is limited room for catch crops.

However, some farms have included more spring crops in the crop rotation as mentioned earlier. The

exchange rate in catch crops between the different measures is shown in Table 8.6. This shows that 4

ha of early sowing or 2 ha of in between crops replaces one 1 ha of catch crop.

Looking back at the actual 2019 implementation in Table 8.6, we can see that most of the 350,000 ha

catch crops units have been achieved using catch crops (79%). N-quota reductions have been limited

and this might be the case if the crop rotation or climate does allow for so many catch crops. There will

be some variation in the use of early sowing as this varies with the weather conditions. Many of the

other options have not been selected in more than 5% of the cases and so it can be concluded that

riparian zones are still not popular!

Table 8.6. Targeted regulation assessment regarding implementation in 2019

Area

(ha)

Catch crops

Reduction of N-quota (average)

Under 80 kg N/ha

Over 80 kg N/ha

Riparian zones

Set a side

Early sowing

In between crops

Energy crops

Sum

Environmental effect (ton N)

274.469

113.665

Conversion factor

122 kg N

93 kg N

150 kg N

0,25

0,5

1,25

Units of catch crops

(ha)

274.469

15.839

Share (%)

820

1.767

194.336

14.340

608

600.004

820

1.767

48.584

7.170

759

349.406

3.459

100

Source: MFVM, 2020 and own calculations

8.5 Conclusion

The higher N-quota has increased income and N-losses, but in both cases less so than expected. The

increased income is likely to be around 400-600 million DKK. The increased use of nitrogen has been

around 30-35.000 tones N.

The period from 2015 to 2019 has seen a transition towards more targeted measures and this has

insured that the implementation has become more flexible and cheaper to implement. At the same time,

it has only been a first step towards targeting as the variation in the measures efficiency across soils

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and the nitrogen retention map has not been fully used in the targeting. The increased flexibility was a

process that was already started before 2016 allowing farmers to replace catch crops with other

measures if the measures had the same environmental effect. The targets regarding collective

measures have been ambitious and especially the creation of mini wet lands, which in 2015 was a new

measure. It is not uncommon that new measures are faced with implementation challenges, which also

happened in this case despite a large effort to get farmers on board

Sources:

Blicher-Mathiesen, G., Holm, H., Houlborg, T., Rolighed, J., Andersen, H.E., Carstensen, M.V., Jensen,

P.G., Wienke, J., Hansen, B. & Thorling, L. 2019. Landovervågningsoplande 2018. NOVANA.

Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 241 s. - Videnskabelig rapport

nr. 352.

http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR352.pdf

Børgersen, C. D., Thomsen, I.K.; Hansen, E.M.; Kristensen, I.T, Blicher-Mathiesen, G.; Rolighed, J. ;

Jensen, P.N.; Olesen, J.E. og Eriksen, J. (2015). Notat om tilbagerulning af tre generelle krav,

Normreduktion, Obligatoriske efterafgrøder og Forbud mod jordbearbejdning i efteråret.

https://pure.au.dk/portal/files/95991713/Notat_om_tilbagerulning_af_tre_gene-

relle_krav_Normreduktion_Obligatoriske_efterafgr_der_og_Forbud_mod_jordbearbejd-

ning_i_efter_ret_111115.pdf

Danish Statistics (2020). Statbank

(HST77)

https://www.statbank.dk/statbank5a/default.asp?w=1920

Eriksen, J., Thomsen, I. K., Hoffmann, C. C., Hasler, B., Jacobsen, B. H. 2020. Virkemidler til reduktion

af kvælstofbelastningen af vandmiljøet. Aarhus Universitet. DCA – Nationalt Center for Fødeva-

rer og Jordbrug. 452 s. – DCA rapport nr. 174

https://dcapub.au.dk/djfpdf/DCArapport174.pdf

Graversgaard, M., Dalgaard, T., Hoffmann, C.C., Jacobsen, B.H., Powell, N., Strand, J., Feuerbach,

P., Tonderski, K. (2021) Wetlands, agriculture and policies– a growing connection: Wetland

implementation in Sweden and Denmark.

Land Use Policy 101 (2021).

doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105206

Jacobsen, B. H., (2016). Analyse af omkostningerne ved scenarier for en reduktion af N-tabet i relation

til Fødevare- og Landbrugspakke 2015, apr. 09, 2016. IFRO Udredning; Nr. 2016/09. Institut for

Fødevare- og Ressourceøkonomi, Københavns Universitet

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Jacobsen, B.H. (2017). Beregning af kvælstofskyggepris med udgangspunkt i Fødevare- og Land-

brugspakken. Udredning 2017/ nr. 8. Institut for Fødevare- og Ressourceøkonomi, Københavns

Universitet

https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/179405531/IFRO_Udredning_2017_08.pdf

Jacobsen, B.H. and Ørum, J. E. (2021). Economic consequences of sup-optimal nitrogen applications

in Denmark. Working paper. Department of Food and Resource Economics. University of Co-

penhagen (to be published)

Jacobsen, B, H.; Tegner, H. and Baaner, L. (2017) Implementing the water framework directive in Den-

mark - Lessons on agricultural measures from a legal and regulatory perspective.

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Policy,

67 (2017) 98–106

doi:/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.05.021

Jacobsen, B.H. og Ørum, J.E. (2016). Analyse af omkostninger ved reducerede N-normer. Udredning

2016/10. Institut for Fødevare- og Ressourceøkonomi, Københavns Universitet.

http://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/160887424/IFRO_Udredning_2016_10.doc.pdf

LBST (2018). Se i hvilke områder du kan søge tilskud til målrettet kvælstofregulering i 2019.

https://lbst.dk/nyheder/nyhed/nyhed/se-i-hvilke-omraader-du-kan-soege-tilskud-til-maalrettet-

kvaelstofregulering-i-2019/

MFVM (2019). Regeringen styrker indsatsen mod landbrugets kvælstofudledning markant.

MFVM

(2020). Vurdering af kvælstofindsatsen. Februar 2020.

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min/user_upload/MFVM/Landbrug/Afrapportering_af_kvaelstofudvalgets_arbejde.pdf

Naturstyrelsen (2014). Udkast til Vandområdeplan 2015-2021 for Vandområdedistrikt Jylland og Fyn.

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Ørum, JE.; Jacobsen, BH, og Thomsen, I. (2018). Beregning af støttesats til målrettet regulering 2020

og 2021. Københavns og Århus Universitet. IFRO Udredning, Nr. 2018/19.

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Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Emne / Titel på publikation9

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9. Forecast of the future evolu-

tion of the water body quality

Ministry of Environment of Denmark

Nitrogen pressure on coastal Waters

Preliminary assessment in 2020 of the status for the marine coastal waters has shown that only 5

coastal water bodies of the total 109 coastal waters bodies are in good status. The number of marine

waterbodies has changed since the 2

RBMP because of changed delineations of some water bod-

ies. The coastal waters are affected by a number of pressures. However, the primary reason for the

missing fulfillment of the environmental objectives is a too high nitrogen load. Therefore, the efforts in

the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) for 2021-2027 are expected to be focused on a signifi-

cant reduction of the nitrogen loads to coastal waters. The all-important anthropogenic source to the

nitrogen load to coastal waters is the loss of nitrogen from arable land.

In the 2

RBMPs for 2015-2021 it was estimated that land-based Danish nitrogen losses to Danish

coastal waters should be reduced to approximately 44,700 tons N/year (target load) to support the

coastal waters to meet good ecological status. In the model calculations it is assumed that other

member states reduce their load correspondingly to a level that supports the achievement of the tar-

gets (burden-sharing). An effort from the Danish side alone will not bring the more open parts of Dan-

ish coastal waters in good status. For the 3

draft RBMP for 2021-2027, the model calculations have

been expanded and updated with the most resent monitoring data. New target loads are expected to

be published in connection with the 6 month hearing of the draft 3

RMBMs in the start of 2021.

For approximately 60% of the catchment areas in Denmark, the nitrogen load to the marine waters

are monitored (in watercourses). Loads are estimated based on model calculations for the remaining

40% of the catchment where there are no monitoring data. In 2019, the calculation method has been

corrected and therefore, the load in the whole dataset from 1990-2018 has been reduced rather sig-

nificantly. Therefore, the current gap cannot be estimated by comparing current load to the target load

in the 2

RBMP.

The nitrogen load to coastal waters (2018) for the last 5 years has been 52,000 - 58,000 tons N/year.

The gap between the current load and the target load (to support achieving good ecological status)

will be calculated for each catchment to the 109 marine water bodies for the 3

RBMP In the 3

RBMP, it will also be investigated whether there also is a need for further reduction of phosphorous in

some of the marine waterbodies where such a reduction will have a .substantial impact on the rele-

vant quality elements.

Target loads for each coastal water body are "Danish targets loads" and generally based on the

premise that measures to achieve good environmental status in the adjacent Danish water bodies are

implemented until 2027; and further that internationally, measures against waterborne as well as air-

borne nitrogen emissions towards 2027 are also implemented.

Expected achievement of environmental objectives in coastal waters by 2027

The Danish Government face challenging tasks concerning the fulfillment of objectives for climate

change, CO2 emissions, nature and water environment protection. All these objectives are expected

to have an impact on the Danish agriculture. Therefore, the Danish Government are planning to make

a strategy for the future Danish agriculture. However, due to the special actions needed regarding the

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corona situation, the political negotiations for the future of Danish agriculture have only just started on

a technical level in February 2021.

This strategy for the future of Danish agriculture is expected to be decided in spring 2021 after politi-

cal consultations. The framework for the future regulation of the Danish agriculture in order to fulfill

the obligation in the WFD are expected to be decided in this strategy. It is expected that measures will

also be taken to reduce the discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus from other sources than agricul-

ture, i.e. point sources, depending on the need for reduction to the 109 marine water bodies. Espe-

cially in catchments where the contribution from point sources are relatively high and in catchments

where the contribution from point sources in the summer period are high. According to the WFD, the

draft 3

River Basin Management Plans is to be published for a 6 month public hearing prior to their

finalization.

On this background, it will not be possible to make a forecast for the reductions of nutrients before

2021.

Achievement of environmental objectives in groundwater

In the draft river basin management plans for the period 2021-2027, the assessment of chemical sta-

tus for groundwater bodies is based on groundwater quality standards and threshold values for pollu-

tants. Currently, 1345 (out of 2050) groundwater bodies are in good chemical status in relation to ni-

trate, 22 groundwater bodies are in poor chemical status in relation to nitrate, and 683 bodies have

unknown chemical status in relation to nitrate. Poor chemical status in relation to nitrate is attributed

to a ground water body when one monitoring point or more is assessed to have a nitrate concentra-

tion exceeding 50 mg/liter and a conceptual model and expert assessment concludes that the ground-

water body has poor chemical status in relation to nitrate. The assessment of significant and sus-

tained upward trend in the concentrations of pollutants has yet to be completed.

It was presupposed in the 2

RBMP that on a long term basis, the new targeted regulation along with

the baseline 2021 and the existing general regulation will meet the need of measures for groundwater

bodies as proposed in the draft river basin management plans 2015-2021. Thus, groundwater bodies

in poor chemical status in general are expected to reach good chemical status after 2021. For the 3

RBMP, this assessment will be reevaluated. A potential need for supplementary measures will be in-

vestigated further during the third plan period. It should be noted that in general, the chemical status

of groundwater bodies develops slowly.

Environmental objectives for watercourses and lakes and relevant pressures

In Denmark watercourses and streams are relatively short compared to major rivers in Europe. The

national monitoring program and the scientific studies indicate that the ecological water quality in

Danish rivers and streams is not significantly affected by emissions of nitrogen. Quality elements such

as phytobenthos and to some extent macrophytes may be affected by the phosphorus concentration

in watercourses. However, it has not yet been possible for Danish researchers to determine at what

concentrations phosphorus affects these quality elements in watercourses and streams.

Emissions/discharges of phosphorus are the most important pressures preventing the fulfillment of

good ecological water quality in lakes. New measures such as improved wastewater treatment and

constructed wetland/mini-wetlands etc. can reduce the discharges of phosphorus in the catchment

areas to lakes.

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