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DRAFT REPORT (COM(2022)0540 – C90361/2022 – 2022/0344(COD))

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

ENVI-PR-740884

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Milan Brglez

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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.

The draft report proposes amendments to the Commission's proposal revising EU water legislation, covering the Water Framework Directive, Groundwater Directive, and Environmental Quality Standards Directive. It sets a 20-year deadline for phasing out priority hazardous substances, establishes access to justice for environmental NGOs, and introduces extended producer responsibility to fund monitoring. It removes caps on watch lists, sets deadlines for monitoring micro-plastics and antimicrobial resistance genes, and adopts precautionary EQS for glyphosate. It also shortens review periods for pollutant lists and requires guidelines for PFAS monitoring.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes amendments to the Commission's proposal, including reinserting the 20-year phase-out deadline, adding access to justice provisions, introducing extended producer responsibility, removing watch list caps, and setting precautionary EQS for glyphosate.

Key points

  1. Member States must cease or phase out emissions, discharges, and losses of priority hazardous substances within 20 years of listing, without prejudice to stricter timelines.
  2. Members of the public with sufficient interest, including environmental NGOs, must have access to review procedures to challenge decisions, acts, or omissions under the Water Framework Directive.
  3. The Commission's proposal to delete reporting requirements is rejected; interim reports and Commission reports on implementation progress are retained.
  4. Watch lists for groundwater and surface water should not have a maximum number of substances; they should include substances of emerging concern based on risk and monitoring data availability.
  5. Suitable monitoring methods for micro-plastics and antimicrobial resistance genes must be identified within 18 months of entry into force, and then those substances added to watch lists.
  6. Producers placing products containing listed substances or watch-list substances must join a producer responsibility organisation and contribute to monitoring costs.
  7. The Commission must review pollutant lists every four years instead of six, and establish technical guidelines for PFAS Total monitoring within two years.
  8. Less intensive monitoring for ubiquitous PBTs is allowed only if they are no longer authorised and used in the Union.
  9. The Commission must publish an evaluation report on effect-based monitoring methods within six months of the two-year period, and may adopt delegated acts to extend their use.
  10. More stringent threshold values for groundwater must be set where quality standards could harm associated surface waters or terrestrial ecosystems, including Natura 2000 sites.
  11. A single AA-EQS of 0.1 μg/L for glyphosate in inland surface waters and 0.01 μg/L for other surface waters is proposed, based on precautionary principle.

Who is affected

  • Producers of products containing listed substances or watch-list substances must join producer responsibility organisations and pay monitoring costs.
  • Environmental NGOs and citizens gain legal standing to challenge decisions breaching the Water Framework Directive.
  • Member States must implement extended producer responsibility schemes and ensure access to justice.

Figures and deadlines

  • 20 years after listing as hazardous for phase-out of priority hazardous substances.
  • 0.1 μg/L AA-EQS for glyphosate in inland surface waters.
  • 0.01 μg/L AA-EQS for glyphosate in other surface waters.
  • 18 months after entry into force to identify monitoring methods for micro-plastics and antimicrobial resistance genes.
  • Four years after entry into force for first review of pollutant lists.
  • Two years after entry into force to establish PFAS monitoring guidelines.

Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article xx of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union