Brussels, 17 February 2026 – Today, EU Member States rubber-stamped the agreement on updating the list of priority water pollutants regulated under the Water Framework Directive, the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (EQSD) and the Groundwater Directive – an overdue key step towards stronger and more effective monitoring and prevention of the toxic chemicals in Europe’s surface and groundwater. 

The EEB welcomes the addition of major pollutants, among them PFAS (‘’forever chemicals”) including TFA (a highly persistent and mobile PFAS) in surface water, that pharmaceuticals are listed for the first time, the designation of Bisphenol-A as a priority hazardous substance, and the introduction of effect-based monitoring to detect harmful chemical mixtures. 

Sara Johansson, Senior Policy Officer for Water, EEB, said: 

After more than three years of negotiations, the EU is edging towards updated water pollution standards – a necessary step forward. But this progress is severely undermined by the excessive timelines Member States gave themselves to limit pollution in EU waters. This weakens the Water Framework Directive’s potential as a tool for prevention. Member States must now include concrete measures to stop further pollution in the 4th River Basin Management Plans. 

Robust monitoring of Europe’s rivers, lakes and groundwater is essential for protecting ecosystems, public health and long-term water resilience as the results form the basis for measures to prevent harmful substances from polluting Europe’s waters and reaching people’s bodies. 

Update hijacked to attack wider water protections 

However, serious concerns remain about two new exemptions introduced to the non-deterioration principle of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the law at the foundation of all EU water protections. The exemptions allow short term temporary deterioration of water bodies and the relocation of pollution from one water body to another.  

Despite these added flexibilities, powerful agribusiness and mining interests continue to complain that the WFD is ‘too rigid’. The reality is that it was declared “fit for purpose” back in 2019. It is one of the EU’s most flexible – and successful – pieces of legislation, accommodating the varying hydrological landscapes and realities across Member States, which has for over two decades ensured rivers and lakes are clean, groundwater ecosystems are healthy, and our drinking water is safe.  

This attack on rules that protect people and nature follows a now-familiar pattern of sustained lobby pressure from the biggest polluters to create loopholes that reduce scrutiny and prioritise profit over water, nature and health protections. 

The rubber-stamping of the deal also comes amid deeply concerning signals that the European Commission intends to revise the WFD to allow increased pollution from mining activities. In this context, Member States have a responsibility to defend the public interest and resist self-serving corporate lobbying. 

Commenting on the Commission’s decision to revise the WFD, Sergiy Moroz said: 

“This is a very reckless decision: it will open the floodgates to further contamination of our waters and accelerate the destruction of our rivers, wetlands and wildlife. The Water Framework Directive is not just any law, it is Europe’s frontline defence for clean, safe, and resilient water for millions of people. Dismantling its safeguards guts this protection, reducing it to a set of vague promises – leaving the future of our waters and wetland ecosystems at the mercy of powerful mining industry.” 

While Member States are required to comply with the new standards only by 2039, this remains a long timeline given the scale of Europe’s water pollution challenges. Defending and strengthening the WFD must remain a priority. Preventing pollution at source is essential, because the health of people, ecosystems and the natural world depends on clean water. 

The deal still needs to be rubber stamped by European Parliament. The EC is still to outline more specific plans on why and how it plans to revise the WFD that has just been simplified through this update. 

ENDS 

Notes to editor: 

• The lists of priority pollutants for surface and groundwater should be updated every six years, the last updates were done in 2013 and 2014 for surface and groundwater respectively. The EU-wide groundwater standards for pesticides and nitrate have not been revised since the adoption of the Groundwater Directive in 2006.  

• More than 600 scientists have signed a statement in support of updated water pollution standards for the EU, and against the weakening of WFD environmental protections.  

• The Living Rivers Europe coalition has denounced the announcement from the European Commission to revise the WFD https://eeb.org/en/reckless-move-risks-derailing-water-protections/