Court of Justice 4 October 2001, C-161/00 (Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of Germany.)

Opinion of the Advocate-General Opinion of the Advocate-General I - Introduction 1. The central question in these infringement proceedings is whether it is permissible, in the implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (hereinafter the Directive), to take the nitrogen losses