Vulnerable areas of the administrative division of Rhine-Meuse Basin

The data package contains the datasets corresponding to: — the list of municipalities referred to in the decree of the Prefect of Lorraine, coordinator of the Rhin-Meuse basin, signed on 8 October 2015, defining the vulnerable areas of the administrative district of Bassin Rhin-Meuse, — the precise delimitation by communes, detailed in the decree signed on 3 October 2016 by the Prefect of the Greater East Region, coordinator of the Rhine-Meuse basin, delimiting areas vulnerable to pollution by nitrates of agricultural origin in the Rhine Meuse basin. ===== Vulnerable areas are the land designated in accordance with Article 3(2) of European Directive No 91-676 whose objectives set out in its first article are to reduce pollution of water caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources, and to prevent any further pollution of this type. A vulnerable zone is a part of the territory where water pollution by direct or indirect discharge of nitrates of agricultural origin or other nitrogen compounds which may become nitrates threatens in the short term the quality of aquatic environments and, in particular, the supply of drinking water. Vulnerable areas shall be designated as vulnerable areas where: — surface and groundwater fresh waters, in particular those intended for drinking water, have or are likely to have a nitrate content exceeding 50 mg/l, — estuary waters, coastal or marine waters and surface fresh waters which have undergone or show a tendency to eutrophication which can be effectively combated by reducing nitrogen inputs. An action programme shall be implemented in each department concerned, setting out the requirements to be complied with by all farmers in the corresponding vulnerable area. They are constructed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, based on a local diagnosis. They aim to correct the most pollution-generating practices. Outside vulnerable areas, a national code of good agricultural practice is voluntary. Each vulnerable area corresponds to a prefectural decree (coordinating basin prefect) after the opinion of the departmental council of Hygiene, the general and regional council and the basin committee. Vulnerable areas are reviewed every 4 years. This decree is the founding regulatory text of the vulnerable area. Each area covers a geographical area consisting of a group of municipalities. In the event that a subsequent order completes the previous order, only the date of the last order will be retained. The list of vulnerable areas is established under the responsibility of the basin DREALs. (definition from: Sandre, Technical and Regulatory Zonages in Water Domain v1.0, January 2013) Files contained in the dataset: — ZONEVUL_COMMUNE_BDP_brm.SHP