On the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines

B100280/2026

European Parliament resolution on the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines

(2026/2652(RSP))

– having regard to Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment (Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive),

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 11 March 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying a framework for strengthening the availability and security of supply of critical medicinal products as well as the availability of, and accessibility of, medicinal products of common interest, and amending Regulation (EU) 2024/795 (COM(2025)0102),

– having regard to the work of the Critical Medicines Alliance, in particular its recommendations on strengthening the resilience of supply chains for essential medicines,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),

– having regard to the question to the Commission on the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and risks to the security of supply of medicines (O-000013/2026 – B10-0008/2026),

– having regard to Rules 142(5) and 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) aims to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of untreated urban wastewater, including through the removal of micropollutants;

B. whereas Articles 9 and 10 of the UWWTD introduce an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme requiring the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors to cover at least 80 % of the costs of quaternary treatment for the removal of both micropollutants arising from products placed on the market and their residues;

C. whereas, in accordance with the principle of proportionality, the allocation of costs under EPR schemes should be fair, proportionate and based on the respective contributions of different sectors to pollution, in order to avoid placing a disproportionate financial burden on certain industries;

D. whereas the application of the UWWTD requires that costs be allocated in proportion to the actual contribution to pollution, taking into account that micropollutants originate from multiple sources that often cannot be attributed exclusively to specific industrial sectors, including the use of products by consumers;

E. whereas cumulative regulatory and financial burdens, including those stemming from the UWWTD, risk undermining the EU’s competitiveness and attractiveness for cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, as well as pharmaceutical innovation and investment, thereby affecting the development and timely availability of medicinal products;

F. whereas a disproportionate allocation of the costs of quaternary treatment to the pharmaceutical sector risks negatively affecting the availability and supply of medicinal products, potentially leading to market withdrawals, reduced competition and increased vulnerability of supply chains;

G. whereas Case T-158/25 before the General Court of the European Union, which concerned the allocation of costs under the EPR scheme introduced by the UWWTD, was dismissed by order on grounds of inadmissibility for lack of legal standing, thereby leaving unresolved substantive questions relating to proportionality and cost allocation;

H. whereas Case C-193/25, currently pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union, raises questions on the interpretation of EU law concerning the application of the polluter-pays principle and the distribution of financial obligations under the UWWTD, the outcome of which may have implications for legal certainty and the uniform implementation of the framework across Member States;

I. whereas taxpayers and water users should not bear the financial burden of quaternary treatment, and such costs must be allocated in a fair, proportionate and non-discriminatory manner;

1. Expresses concerns regarding the current EPR system, which places a disproportionate financial burden on certain sectors, particularly the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries; warns that this system risks undermining the supply, availability and affordability of medicinal and cosmetics products;

2. Underlines that available industry data suggests that the additional costs for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors may have been significantly underestimated;

3. Stresses the importance of respecting the principle of subsidiarity by ensuring that Member States retain sufficient flexibility to determine and implement the most efficient and sustainable wastewater management solutions;

4. Calls on the Commission to carry out a new comprehensive and independent impact assessment that reflects the principles of proportionality and of non-discrimination, including a more accurate estimation of sectoral contributions to micropollutants;

5. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the implementation of the UWWTD does not undermine the availability, affordability and supply security of medicinal products within the EU, as well as the development and timely availability of medicinal products;

6. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to suspend the application of Articles 9 and 10 of the UWWTD (‘stop the clock’), and to present, following a comprehensive impact assessment and taking into account the need for a balanced approach, a proposal to amend this directive as regards those provisions;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.