When the exception becomes the rule – How governments avoid taking action to achieve EU water law objectives

In the year 2000, the EU governments committed to bring all EU waters to good status by 2015. Unfortunately, today still more than half of EU rivers, lakes and groundwater are under exemption from the environmental objectives. The thirsty and toxic coal industry should be among the first sectors to comply
with the strict rules to protect Europe’s waters, but often is assigned exemptions instead.

This fact sheet is based on and summarises the information of the briefing from EEB and Client Earth “When the exception becomes the rule – Overuse of exemptions from reaching the objectives of the Water Framework Directive due to coal mining and combustion”