{"id":119921,"date":"2026-03-26T11:14:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=119921"},"modified":"2026-03-26T12:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T11:59:16","slug":"eu-parliament-backs-new-water-pollution-rules-amidst-attacks-on-wider-water-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/fr\/eu-parliament-backs-new-water-pollution-rules-amidst-attacks-on-wider-water-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Parliament backs new water pollution rules,\u00a0amidst attacks on wider water protections"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels, 26 March 2026 –<\/span><\/i> The European Parliament approved updated EU water pollution standards. This is a overdue step forward in tackling harmful substances like PFAS, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals in Europe\u2019s rivers, lakes, and groundwater. At a time when pressure on water is rising across the continent pollution, preventive action is needed more than ever, warns the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crucially, Member States now have the clarity to act immediately. As they prepare the next River Basin Management Plans for 2028\u20132033, national authorities can already move to cut pollution by tightening industrial discharge permits, restricting harmful pesticides, and investing in wastewater treatment. The EEB warns that delaying action will only make the problem more severe and more expensive to fix.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara Johansson<\/span><\/b>, Senior Policy\u00a0Officer\u00a0for Water at the EEB,\u00a0said:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMember States now have clarity on the pollutants they need to tackle. But the Commission\u2019s push to revise the WFD risks pulling focus away from real action, delaying the protections our rivers and our health urgently need.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, the deal also comes with some\u00a0worrying\u00a0gaps. Governments\u00a0are not required to\u00a0fully\u00a0comply with\u00a0the new standards until 2039, with\u00a0possible extensions\u00a0to 2045, and new exemptions weaken the non-deterioration principle, a cornerstone of EU water law.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the European Commission has committed to reviewing the Water Framework Directive in 2026\u00a0despite there being no\u00a0clear evidence\u00a0that such a change is needed.\u00a0This risks\u00a0opening the door to\u00a0yet\u00a0more pollution, shifting costs from polluters to\u00a0European\u00a0taxpayers, and undermining one of the EU\u2019s most effective environmental protections.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With more than\u00a0<\/span>370,000 people<\/span><\/a>\u00a0already calling for clean drinking water, swimmable rivers, and\u00a0healthy\u00a0ecosystems, the message is clear: action cannot wait. National governments must act now, and Europe must defend the rules that protect its water.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notes to editor\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n