The nitrogen reduction programme in the Federal Republic of Germany

Due to a number of environmental problems caused by nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrous oxides, nitrate), a working party "Nitrogen Reduction Programme" was constituted in 1993. Represented in the working party were the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Environmental Agency and six of the sixteen federal states. The working party collected data on environmental inputs of nitrogen compounds and estimated sector-specific potentials to lower them. Appropriate measures for a considerable decrease in the emissions of nitrogen compounds for sectors such as agriculture, traffic, power generation, waste water treatment and waste disposal were proposed. The final report of the working party was discussed with representatives of the Ministerial Conference for Agriculture before publication. It is now up to the competent ministries at federal and state levels to implement the proposed measures. Interim reports have to be given after five years.