The purpose of the report is to summarise the implementation of Directive 86/278/EEC on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture (the Sewage Sludge Directive or SSD). The primary purpose of the Directive is the ensure that the use of sewage sludge is regulated in a manner which prevents any detrimental impact on soil, vegetation, animals, and man. To achieve this, the Directive outlines a number of compulsory requirements for Member States. Although the Directive sets limitations and requirements for the EU, Member States are able to set more stringent national requirements than those set in the SSD. This is an option which has been applied by a number of Member States, with national legislation exceeding the requirements set out in the SSD in many instances. This report focuses on the information reported in response to the implementation questionnaire for the 2016 - 2018 reporting period for the SSD. The questionnaire has been completed by all 27 Member States and provides, as required, details on the national implementation plans for the Directive. This report builds upon the previous report, published three years ago, and is part of a longer series of reports on the implementation of the Directive. The report focuses on a number of key areas, following the order of the questionnaire on implementation. Key topics which are analysed include national limit values set for the application of heavy metals in soils, sludges and to agricultural land, sludge treatment techniques, frequency of soil analysis, and any national prohibitions on the use of sludge. The data reported by Member States has been used to conduct a horizontal analysis, i.e., to ascertain the current level of implementation of several provisions of the Directive across all Member States. This analysis will help to identify if there are any remaining gaps in the implementation of the Directive in Member States, and to understand any additional practices which have been implemented across the EU. Where possible, results have been compared with the information provided in the 2013 - 2015 questionnaire in order to assess the evolution of legislative policies and implementation of the Directive over a longer time period.
