Water pollution in Europe should decrease significantly. New standards, preliminarily agreed upon by the EU Council and the European Parliament, set very strict limits on the content of harmful pesticides, bisphenols, and pharmaceutical substances. Member states will have until 2039 to achieve compliance with the new standards both for surface water and groundwater.
On Tuesday, 23 September, the Council Presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional political agreement on a proposed directive to review and update the lists of pollutants affecting surface waters and groundwater and corresponding regulatory standards. This agreement updates environmental quality standards for a number of pollutants and adds new ones, aligning EU water policy with the latest scientific evidence.
New pollutants on the list
The agreement introduces new substances into the priority lists, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, bisphenols, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a breakdown product of certain PFAS, will be added to the initially proposed sum of 24 PFAS for surface water.
A sum standard of pesticides for surface waters is also introduced and set at 0.2 µg/l, covering substances already listed as priority substances. Bisphenol-A is designated as a priority hazardous substance. Certain substances no longer relevant at the EU level, such as atrazine, are deselected, while the standards for others are tightened in line with the latest scientific advice.
The agreement safeguards the health of EU citizens and future generations by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in our water. — Magnus Heunicke, Denmark’s Minister for Environment and Gender Equality.
“This agreement ensures that Europe’s water legislation keeps pace with science and emerging pollutants (…) Above all, it safeguards the health of EU citizens and future generations by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in our water,” said Magnus Heunicke, Denmark’s Minister for Environment and Gender Equality.
Regular reports on water quality
The agreement both strengthens and streamlines monitoring and reporting obligations for EU member states, to improve the monitoring and transparency of water quality across the EU without placing excessive administrative burdens.
Member states will now be required to report biological quality data every three years and to report chemical quality data for both surface water and groundwater every two years.
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For achieving compliance with the new standards both for surface water and groundwater there is a deadline of 2039. An additional and strictly conditioned extension would be possible until 2045. In the case of substances with revised and more stringent environmental quality standards in surface water, the deadline for compliance is 2033.
The provisional agreement will now be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament, before being formally adopted and entering into force. Member states will have to transpose the directive into national law by 21 December 2027.
Almost half of surface waters polluted
According to data from the River Basin Management plans, a key tool of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), 46 per cent of surface waters and 24 per cent of groundwater in the EU fail to achieve good chemical status. There are extreme differences among member states.
WFD has earlier highlighted the need to update the list of polluting substances of concern (including pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals) to compensate the shortcomings of the current list. The latter omits some emerging substances and focuses on individual substances disregarding cumulative or combined effects of mixtures.
