{"id":115192,"date":"2024-06-19T14:38:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T12:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=115192"},"modified":"2024-06-19T14:38:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T12:38:50","slug":"eu-member-states-seek-to-quietly-dismantle-eu-rules-protecting-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/fr\/eu-member-states-seek-to-quietly-dismantle-eu-rules-protecting-water\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Member States seek to quietly dismantle EU rules protecting water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, Member States\u2019 ambassadors to the EU have adopted an agreement giving EU countries the right to pollute rather than protect our water for the next decades, and to weaken existing water protection rules. The deal is a huge disappointment that fails to respond to Europe\u2019s pressing water and biodiversity crises, environmental NGOs warn.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Belgian Presidency of the European Council sealed the deal that includes proposals pushed by the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Luxembourg [1] to change the Water Framework Directive (WFD)<\/span> by <\/span>introducing two new exemptions to the WFD\u2019s environmental objectives<\/b>. These exceptions allow short-term negative impacts<\/span> on water bodies and deterioration in water quality following water or sediment relocation. For example, it could greenlight even more pollution incidents <\/span>such as the <\/span>Lynetteholm housing development project<\/span><\/a> in Copenhagen\u2019s harbour where 200,000 cubic metres of sludge contaminated with heavy metals and nutrients were dumped in the K\u00f8ge Bay .<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This unwarranted step threatens to <\/span>severely undermine water protections across the EU <\/b>– and in turn, people\u2019s health and key environmental objectives. It also completely disregards the Commission\u2019s 2019<\/span> \u201cfitness check\u201d<\/span><\/a> which found the WFD fit for purpose and highlighted its inadequate implementation by Member States.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara Johansson<\/b>, Senior Policy Officer for Water Pollution Prevention, European Environmental Bureau, said:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWith only a few years left until a legal deadline to comply with the Water Framework Directive, it\u2019s hugely disappointing to see Member States weakening existing water protection provisions and wanting to give themselves legal rights to pollute water for the next decades. Pushing action on water pollution into the future will only make it more difficult and costly to deal with.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Claire Baffert<\/b>, Senior Policy Officer, Water and Climate Change Adaptation, WWF European Policy Office, said:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCitizens need access to safe, unpolluted water which can be achieved with proper\u00a0 implementation of water protection rules. Instead, Member States are risking harm to citizens by actively watering down the Water Framework Directive. We are calling on the European Commission and newly elected European Parliament not to let this happen when negotiating the final version of the text.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Manon Rouby<\/b>, Policy Officer & Legal Adviser, PAN Europe, said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMember States drastically lowering their ambition both in the timeline and scope of reducing chemical pollution is profoundly disappointing. Their refusal to take ambitious actions against EU-wide chemical water pollution, such as from pesticides or PFAS, not only puts both the citizens and biodiversity at increased risk but also defers the problem to a later date, worsening the situation significantly. This is unacceptable.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PFAS pollution allowed for at least another decade<\/b><\/p>\n

Member States have also agreed to push back the legal deadline for reaching compliance on proposed new pollution standards \u2013 including for glyphosate, a group of PFAS (\u2018Forever Chemicals\u2019) and pharmaceuticals \u2013 <\/span>to 2039<\/b>, with options to further delay until 2051. For the next ten years,<\/span> Member States would only be obliged to monitor<\/b> the presence of new pollutants in water. Additionally, the agreed text weakens the already scarce provisions in the Commission\u2019s proposal to address the effects of chemical mixtures (\u2018cocktail effects\u2019) and weakens provisions for groundwater protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Council\u2019s move does not respond to peoples\u2019 concerns – the recent Eurobarometer survey on<\/span> Attitudes of Europeans towards the Environment<\/span><\/a> showed that 78% of Europeans<\/b> want the EU to do more to tackle water pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next steps: negotiations between the EU institutions (the Council, the European Parliament and European Commission) will begin once the new Parliament is in place. This process will agree the final version of the text.<\/span><\/p>\n

[ENDS]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Notes to editor:<\/b><\/p>\n