More stringent water quality standards requested by the European Parliament

The draft directive on surface water, which is the final major piece of EU legislation needed for the Water Framework Directive (WFD), fixes environmental quality standards for 33 pollutants, likely to be found in the rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The Environment Committee of the European Parliament (EP) required at its meeting of 6 May 2008 tougher standards and adopted several amendments on this draft proposal that will serve as a basis for negotiations with the Council.

Member states would have to meet the water quality standards, which take the form of maximum allowable concentrations and annual average values, by 2015. Twelve of the 33 pollutants are already classified as "priority hazardous substances", to be phased out by 2025. The Environment Committee required that 31 more water pollutants have either to be controlled by 2015 or to be banned by 2025.

Furthermore, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the Commission to include 10 more of these 33 pollutants in the category of hazardous substances that have to be phased out completely. MEPs want also to guarantee that Member States ensure the best available water treatment techniques for zones closed to pollution sources.

Moreover MEPs asked the Commission to table a new separate legislative proposal on standards for living organisms and sediments. This request contrasts with the positions of the Council and the Commission seeking to limit checks to surface waters.

Negotiations on the draft proposal continue between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.