Farmers and the implementation of the EU nitrates directive in Spain

Farming practices and their implications for the environment have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years with mounting pressures on farmers to reduce pollution and achieve higher environmental standards. The Nitrates Directive is an outstanding example, at EU level, of the pressure on farmers to redirect agriculture toward greater sustainability. This paper examines the implementation process of the Nitrates Directive in Spain, analysing the causes of the delay in implementing the directive, and examining farmers' views of nitrate pollution and their attitudes toward environmental regulation of their activity.