Greece was one of three countries threatened with legal action by the European Commission yesterday for failing to comply with legislation for the protection of water resources. Italy and Spain were also given final warnings.

The member states had been due to brief the Commission on the state of their rivers, lakes and groundwater by June last year and to submit environmental studies on these bodies of water by March 22 of this year. They now have two months to respond to the EC’s warning or face the European Court of Justice.

“European citizens are entitled to clean water and a healthy environment,” European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said after the decision. “Proper and timely implementation of this ambitious directive will help (the countries) fulfill their obligations quickly.” The directive aims to achieve good quality water resources by 2015.