Intensive agriculture and densely populated areas represent major sources of nutrient pollution for European inland and coastal waters, altering the aquatic ecosystems and affecting their capacity to provide ecosystem services and support economic activities. Ambitious water policies are in place in the European Union (EU) for protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems under the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This research quantified the current pressures of point and diffuse nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to European fresh and coastal waters (2005–2012), and analysed the effects of three policy scenarios of nutrient reduction: 1) the application of measures currently planned in the Rural Development Programmes and under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD); 2) the full implementation of the UWWTD and the absence of derogations in the Nitrates Directive; 3) high reduction of nutrient, using best technologies in wastewaters treatment and optimal fertilisation in agriculture. The results of the study show that for the period 2005–2012, the nitrogen load to European seas was 3.3–4.1 TgN/y and the phosphorus load was 0.26–0.30 TgP/y. Policy measures supporting technological improvements (third scenario) could decrease the nutrient export to the seas up to 14% for nitrogen and 20% for phosphorus, improving the ecological status of rivers and lakes, but widening the nutrient imbalance in coastal ecosystems (i.e. increasing nitrogen availability with respect to phosphorus), affecting eutrophication. Further nutrient reductions could be possible by a combination of measures especially in the agricultural sector. However, without tackling current agricultural production and consumption system, the reduction might not be sufficient for achieving the goals of EU water policy in some regions. The study analysed the expected changes and the source contribution in different European regional seas, and highlights the advantages of addressing the land-sea dynamics, checking the coherence of measures taken under different policies.

集约化农业和人口稠密地区是欧洲内陆和沿海水域养分污染的主要来源，改变了水生生态系统并影响了它们提供生态系统服务和支持经济活动的能力。欧盟 (EU) 制定了雄心勃勃的水资源政策，以根据《水框架指令》和《海洋战略框架指令》保护和恢复水生生态系统。本研究量化了当前向欧洲淡水和沿海水域（2005-2012）氮和磷排放的点和扩散压力，并分析了三种营养减少政策情景的影响：1）农村发展中目前计划的措施的应用计划和城市污水处理指令 (UWWTD)；2) UWWTD 的全面实施和硝酸盐指令中没有减损；3) 养分的高度减少，使用最好的废水处理技术和农业最佳施肥。研究结果表明，2005-2012 年期间，欧洲海域的氮负荷为 3.3-4.1 TgN/y，磷负荷为 0.26-0.30 TgP/y。支持技术改进（第三种情景）的政策措施可以将向海洋的营养物质出口减少高达 14% 的氮和 20% 的磷，改善河流和湖泊的生态状况，但会扩大沿海生态系统的营养失衡（即增加氮磷的可用性），影响富营养化。通过多种措施的结合，特别是在农业部门，可以进一步减少养分。然而，如果不解决当前的农业生产和消费体系，减少可能不足以在某些地区实现欧盟水政策的目标。该研究分析了欧洲不同区域海域的预期变化和来源贡献，并突出了解决陆海动态的优势，检查了不同政策下采取的措施的一致性。