On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration and Directive 2008/105/EC on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy
A-9-2023-0238
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Milan Brglez
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.
Parliament's amended version of the proposal to update EU water law sets stricter rules on pollutants, monitoring, and access to justice.¶¶ It adds PFAS, glyphosate, bisphenols, and other substances to watch lists and quality standards, and requires phase-out of priority hazardous substances within 20 years.¶¶¶ It strengthens groundwater protection, including 10-times lower threshold values than surface water, and extends producer responsibility for monitoring costs.¶¶¶ It mandates public access to monitoring data and legal standing for NGOs to challenge decisions breaching the Water Framework Directive.¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety proposes to amend the Commission proposal to strengthen protection of water bodies, including stricter standards for emerging pollutants, enhanced monitoring, and extended producer responsibility.¶¶
Key points
- Water is a common good, not a commercial product, and the right to clean water is a human right.¶¶
- Member States must establish, not just consider, threshold values for listed pollutants, including highly toxic substances like cadmium, lead, and mercury.¶¶¶
- Priority hazardous substances must be phased out within 20 years of listing, unless stricter timelines apply.¶¶
- Watch lists for surface and groundwater must contain at least five substances, with no maximum, and include microplastics and antimicrobial resistance genes once methods are ready.¶¶¶
- The Commission must set quality standards for PFAS total by 2026 and for bisphenols total by three years after entry into force.¶¶¶
- Groundwater threshold values should normally be 10 times lower than surface water EQS, unless risk justifies otherwise.¶¶
- Member States must ensure public access to monitoring data and provide access to justice for NGOs and individuals to challenge breaches.¶¶
- The Commission must assess extended producer responsibility to fund monitoring, and set up a voluntary joint monitoring facility.¶¶¶
- Member States must evaluate every two years the water quality impact of energy transition industries and report new threats.¶¶
- Monitoring frequencies must increase for substances with seasonal peaks, and effect-based methods are to be used for estrogenic substances.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Farmers: incentives for water management, modernisation of irrigation, and monitoring of pesticide impacts.¶¶¶
- Producers of products containing listed substances: may have to contribute to monitoring costs under extended producer responsibility.¶¶¶
- Member States: must establish threshold values, ensure access to justice, and report on energy transition impacts.¶¶¶
- Environmental NGOs and citizens: gain legal standing to challenge decisions breaching water law.
Figures and deadlines
- 20 years after listing as hazardous for phase-out of priority hazardous substances.¶¶
- 10 times lower threshold values for groundwater than surface water EQS.¶¶
- At least five substances on watch lists.¶¶
- Two monitoring stations per Member State, plus one per 30,000 km2 of groundwater bodies.¶
- 0.1 μg/L AA-EQS for glyphosate in inland surface waters and 0.01 μg/L for other surface waters.¶
- Reviews every four years instead of six for pollutant lists.¶¶
Legal basis: Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶