Sittings · Document
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
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B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 4
Amendment 4
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ma. whereas the introduction of quaternary treatment is the costliest feature of the directive;
Or. en
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B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 5
Amendment 5
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
Mb. whereas Member States’ cost estimates significantly exceed those provided in the Commission’s impact assessment (e.g. Germany and Spain have reported costs several times higher);
Or. en
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B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 6
Amendment 6
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
Qa. whereas the Commission’s attribution of approximately 92 % of the micropollutant load to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics has been questioned on methodological and scientific grounds, in particular given the lack of a thorough analysis of the consequences for patient access and national healthcare budgets; whereas this omission is especially critical for the entire pharmaceutical ecosystem, encompassing innovative, generic and off-patent medicines, which collectively underpins patient access, security of supply and the long-term sustainability of European healthcare systems, while sustaining the investment in research and development and the manufacturing footprint on which Europe’s strategic autonomy in health depends;
Or. en
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B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 7
Amendment 7
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
6. Calls on the Commission to produce a new independent study by the end of 2026 identifying the list of substances present in urban wastewater, verifying the costs of quaternary treatment and the attribution of responsibility to the relevant sectors under the polluter pays principle, and identifying the potential impact on the availability, affordability and accessibility of medicines, in particular generic and critical medicines and their active substances; considers that the Member States, through the Human Pharmaceutical Committee, and the European Environment Agency and the European Medicines Agency, should be appropriately involved in the study, within their areas of competence; calls on the Commission to accelerate, if necessary on the basis of the study results, the evaluation of the allocation of substances and also, if necessary, to immediately reattribute EPR obligations to the sectors identified as responsible; considers that, if the results of the study demonstrate significant risk to the affordability, availability and accessibility of medicines, in particular critical and generic medicines, the Commission should swiftly adopt safeguards to guarantee the security of supply of these medicines;
6. Calls on the Commission to produce a new impact assessment by the end of 2026 identifying the list of substances present in urban wastewater, verifying the costs of quaternary treatment and the attribution of responsibility to the relevant sectors under the polluter pays principle, and identifying the potential impact on the availability, affordability and accessibility of medicines, in particular generic and critical medicines and their active substances; considers that the Member States, through the Human Pharmaceutical Committee, and the European Environment Agency and the European Medicines Agency, should be appropriately involved in the study, within their areas of competence; calls on the Commission to accelerate, if necessary on the basis of the impact assessment results, the evaluation of the allocation of substances and also, if necessary, to immediately reattribute EPR obligations to the sectors identified as responsible; considers that, if the results of the impact assessment demonstrate significant risk to the affordability, availability and accessibility of medicines, in particular critical and generic medicines, the Commission should swiftly adopt safeguards to guarantee the security of supply of these medicines;
Or. en
12.6.2026 B100238/2026 }
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B100241/2026 }
B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 8
Amendment 8
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
8. Recalls the gradual implementation timeline for the EPR and quaternary treatment obligations, with certain provisions not fully applying until 2045, which provides sufficient time for the gradual and balanced implementation of the directive and the quaternary treatment obligations, namely 20 % coverage by 2033, 60 % by 2039 and full coverage by 2045; recalls that the technical aspects of the EPR provisions and national EPR organisations can be adjusted at both EU and national level to ensure fairness and effectiveness; calls for both the Commission and the Member States to make full use of the directive’s existing provisions to ensure that evidence and appropriate and reliable data are fully taken into consideration in the implementation of the directive;
8. Calls for a temporary suspension (‘stop the clock’) of the EPR provisions and of the quaternary treatment obligations and related financial obligations until the completion of the study and the assessment of its findings by the Commission;
Or. en
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Amendment 9
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
Reaffirms its strong support for the environmental objectives and the implementation of the revised UWWTD in accordance with the deadlines set, and underlines the need to reduce and address water pollution, including micropollutants;
Reaffirms its strong support for the environmental objectives of the revised UWWTD and underlines the need to reduce water pollution;
Or. en
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B100281/2026 } RC1/Am. 10
Amendment 10
Pietro Fiocchi
on behalf of the ECR Group
Joint motion for a resolution
S&D, Renew, Verts/ALE, The Left
Implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and risks to the security of supply of medicines
Joint motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Joint motion for a resolution
Amendment
13. Recalls that EPR represents the most effective and fair financing model for quaternary treatment, ensuring stable investment, while avoiding additional pressure on public budgets and water tariffs, and providing an incentive for the development of products that biodegrade rapidly or that do not generate micropollutants in wastewater at the end of their life cycle; notes, however, the challenges of availing of the incentive owing to the complexities of modifications to medicinal formulations, which may require extensive research or new marketing authorisations, in particular for generic medicines;
13. Notes the challenges of availing of the incentive owing to the complexities of modifications to medicinal formulations, which may require extensive research or new marketing authorisations, in particular for generic medicines;
Or. en