New legislation enters into force to strengthen protection of water in the EU

Omn Monday, the Directive revising rules for surface and groundwaters entered into force – an important step to make the EU more water-resilient and reduce water pollution. This revision, proposed by the European Commission in 2022, ensures that the lists of water pollutants will be aligned with the latest scientific advice, and that new substances will be monitored and more strictly controlled in surface waters and groundwater. Three pieces of EU legislation will be adapted accordingly: the Water Framework Directive, the Environmental Quality Standards Directive, and the Groundwater Directive.

The updated lists cover certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, known as ‘forever chemicals’), pesticides, and pharmaceuticals – all of them with well-documented harmful effects on the environment or human health. For the first time, microplastics will also be addressed, as well as indicators of antimicrobial resistance, and sensitive groundwater ecosystems.

The revision also reduces administrative burden for Member States by streamlining reporting requirements and making it easier to share monitoring data between Member States and the Commission through digital tools. The new rules also strengthen transboundary cooperation, ensuring mandatory downstream river basin warnings after incidents.

The new law incorporates a definition of non-deterioration and adds the possibility for two types of activity to go ahead subject to strict safeguards. These activities include improvement works such as bridge reconstruction or flood-protection works that might only have temporary impacts, and activities merely relocating pollution, without actually increasing it, such as in the context of dewatering for the purpose of construction, or the dredging of sediments.

Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, said: “The revised water law will help reduce pollution in our waters from PFAS, pesticides and other harmful chemicals. This is exactly what we set out to do in the European Water Resilience Strategy – to make Europe more resilient in terms of water. Clean water matters for people’s health, for our environment, and for our economy. It is one of the smartest investments we can make, and it will pay off many times over.”

Member States will need to implement the requirements and transpose the amendments to the three relevant Directives by 22 December 2027.

Source: European Commission