Press release

The As Conchas community files an enforcement claim to compel the Xunta and the Miño-Sil River Basin Authority to comply with the landmark ruling on pollution in A Limia

3 September 2026

One year on, episodes of toxic cyanobacteria and pollution are still being recorded in the As Conchas reservoir, and have also been observed at the Portuguese Lindoso dam.

The claim calls for A Limia to be declared a nitrate vulnerable zone, as well as for a moratorium on new industrial livestock installations and on the expansion of existing ones until the environmental degradation is reversed, among other measures.

 Residents of As Conchas (Ourense), supported by ClientEarth, Amigas de la Tierra (Friends of the Earth Spain) and the Consumers and Users Federation CECU, have filed a claim asking the High Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG) to compel enforcement of the landmark ruling that found their fundamental rights had been violated by the authorities' failure to act on pollution from industrial livestock farming in the River Limia basin, with a particular impact on the As Conchas reservoir.

In July 2025, the TSXG concluded that the Xunta de Galicia and the Miño-Sil River Basin Authority (CHMS) had violated the local population's fundamental rights, including the right to life, to privacy, to the inviolability of the home and to property, in connection with the right to enjoy an adequate environment and the human right to water. The ruling also recognised that this violation had been caused by the inaction of both authorities, despite their having known for years about the pollution from industrial livestock farming affecting the River Limia basin.

The ruling ordered the Xunta and the CHMS to adopt, immediately, all the measures necessary to put an end to the environmental degradation of the As Conchas reservoir and its surroundings and to guarantee the supply of clean, safe water to the area's population. In February 2026, the Supreme Court definitively upheld the ruling by dismissing the appeals brought by both authorities.

Yet more than a year after the ruling, and several months after it became final, the As Conchas community and the organisations supporting them report that the measures required by the court have still not been implemented.

The enforcement claim does not seek to substitute the authorities in the exercise of their powers, but to ensure the effective compliance with a final ruling through the adoption of the measures needed to restore the environment and protect the fundamental rights whose violation has already been declared by the court.

Nieves Noval, senior lead lawyer at ClientEarth, said:

"In July 2025, a court found that the authorities had violated the fundamental rights of the As Conchas community, and the Supreme Court has confirmed it. The authorities have had the chance to comply with the ruling voluntarily. They have not done so. It now falls to the court to ensure it is enforced. Because the people of As Conchas, like so many other communities affected by pollution, have already waited too long. Everyone  has the right to the full enjoyment of our fundamental rights and to see final rulings complied with."

Insufficient action

The claim points out that the only measures reported to date consist of paying the compensation awarded in the ruling, some inspections of livestock farms and the taking of water quality samples. These measures fall short of complying with a ruling that requires putting an end to the environmental degradation of the basin, guaranteeing safe drinking water and restoring the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights whose violation was recognised by the court itself.

Meanwhile, the environmental situation has not improved. The claim states that over the past year there have continued to be episodes of massive blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria, that the pollution and odour problems suffered by local communities persist, and that there are signs of down-river impacts, including at the Portuguese Lindoso dam.

Blanca Ruibal, coordinator at Amigas de la Tierra (Friends of the Earth Spain), said:

"Delaying enforcement of the ruling puts local people at risk, shows a serious lack of responsibility and violates their fundamental rights. The court's decision is emphatic, and the authorities' action must be too — they must now take charge and protect the public and their environment. Restoring the area and re-establishing the right to health, to water and to a healthy environment is urgent."

The organisations recall that the ruling had already identified specific measures the authorities were required to pursue in order to reverse the situation, including environmental and public health studies, permanent water quality monitoring programmes, systems for informing the public, pollution surveillance and measures to reduce the pressure on the basin.

In the enforcement claim filed before the TSXG, the claimants set out the measures identified by the ruling itself as necessary to guarantee its effective compliance and call for them to be carried out. These include declaring A Limia a nitrate vulnerable zone; a moratorium on new industrial livestock installations and on the expansion of existing ones until the environmental degradation is reversed; comprehensive environmental inspection and monitoring programmes; reinforced systems for monitoring the quality of water and of wells used for human consumption; rapid alert protocols for the public; and monitoring plans for episodes of cyanobacteria, odours and other impacts on health and the environment.

For this reason, the enforcement claim asks the court to guarantee the full and effective compliance with the ruling, requiring the authorities to adopt the measures needed to put an end to the environmental degradation of the River Limia basin and to restore the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights whose violation was declared by the TSXG.

The claimants also ask the court to set deadlines, responsible parties and objective compliance indicators, and to require the authorities to report periodically on the measures adopted, so that effective compliance with the obligations imposed by the ruling can be verified.

David Sánchez, director of the Consumers and Users Federation CECU, added:

"The As Conchas ruling laid bare how seriously pollution has affected local people's fundamental rights. Public authorities cannot respond by looking the other way or blaming one another. They have to act urgently and in a coordinated way to restore the rights of the people of this area."

ENDS

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth works in over 50 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. We shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive. 

 We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.

About Amigas de la Tierra

Amigas de la Tierra is a non-profit association working for a social environmentalism rooted in local communities. We are committed to a model based on care and on ecofeminist alternatives to achieve just societies that put people at the centre and respect the limits of nature. At the same time, we build local change through community-based alternatives driven by activism. It is worth noting that we are part of Friends of the Earth International, the largest grassroots environmental federation in the world.

About the Consumers and Users Federation CECU

The Consumers and Users Federation CECU is a democratic, progressive, pluralistic and independent organisation founded in 1983. It is a pioneer in the field of consumer affairs for its work from a broader perspective than the mere purchase of goods or services, contributing to new connections between consumption and the environment, food safety, Corporate Social Responsibility, access to justice, fair and solidarity-based trade, a particular focus on defending the most vulnerable groups, and the protection of personal data. It is part of the Council of Consumers and Users (CCU), representing Spanish consumers in various advisory and product standardisation bodies.