Water and marine

EU water policy is one of the cornerstones of environmental protection in the EU. The rules protect water resources, fresh and saltwater ecosystems, and drinking and bathing waters. The Water Framework Directive provides the main framework and the objectives for water policy in Europe.

Key developments

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EU Environment—horizon scanner — Water and marine—this Practice Note is a horizon scanner tracking key future developments in EU environmental law. It provides details of key dates for your diary (including forecasted dates where possible) and relevant commentary in relation to legislation-in-progress, legislation subject to future application dates or transposition deadlines, new consultations and calls for evidence, forthcoming guidance, and new EU-level strategies and action plans
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EU Environment—key developments tracker — Water and marine—this Practice Note tracks key past developments in EU environmental law. It provides details of key events and relevant commentary relating to finalised legislation and other key developments, including published guidance and EU-level strategies and action plans. This tracker covers legislative developments from 2025 onwards.

Water and marine

This subtopic contains the following guidance on EU level rules governing water quality

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Latest EU Law News

Commission adopts new ESPR measures to stop destruction of unsold textiles

The European Commission has adopted new measures under the Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)) aimed at preventing the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear by introducing a ban on their destruction alongside new disclosure obligations. Under the ESPR, companies must disclose information on unsold consumer products discarded as waste, while the new ban seeks to reduce waste, limit environmental harm and promote a more circular economy. A Delegated Act clarifies limited derogations permitting destruction in justified cases, such as safety concerns or product damage, and an Implementing Act establishes a standardised format for businesses to report volumes of unsold consumer products discarded from February 2027. The ban and related derogations will apply to large companies from 19 July 2026 and to medium-sized companies from 2030, while disclosure requirements already apply to large companies and will extend to medium-sized companies in 2030, with businesses encouraged to prioritise alternatives such as resale, remanufacturing, donation or reuse.

Commission adopts RENURE rules amending Nitrates Directive

The European Commission has formally adopted new rules on REcovered Nitrogen from manURE (RENURE) through an amendment to Council Directive 91/676/EEC (the Nitrates Directive). The rules enable Member States to authorise the use of RENURE fertilising products derived from processed livestock manure above existing legal limits for manure application. The amendment follows a vote by Member States' representatives in the Nitrates Committee on 19 September 2025 to amend Annex III of the Nitrates Directive, followed by scrutiny by the European Parliament and Council under the comitology procedure. Implementation is optional and applies only to Member States that choose to authorise RENURE, who must then transpose the amendment into national law.

Commission opens two linked consultations on rules to support 2040 climate target

The European Commission has launched a call for evidence and consultation to prepare a legislative framework on the possible use of international carbon credits towards the EU’s 2040 climate target under the amended European Climate Law, with adoption planned for the fourth quarter of 2026. The initiative implements the provisional agreement reached in December 2025 on a legally binding target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The agreement allows for a limited contribution from high-quality international credits of up to 5% of 1990 EU net emissions from 2036, supported by a potential pilot phase between 2031–35, in order to complement domestic action while remaining aligned with the Paris Agreement .

Commission preliminarily finds TikTok breached Digital Services Act over addictive design

The European Commission has preliminarily found that TikTok breached the Digital Services Act (EU DSA) due to its addictive design, citing features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and its highly personalised recommender system, which the Commission says fuel compulsive behaviour and weaken users’ self control, particularly among minors and vulnerable adults. It states that TikTok failed to adequately assess risks to users’ physical and mental wellbeing and disregarded indicators of compulsive use, including minors’ night time screen activity and the frequency with which users open the app. The Commission further considers that TikTok has not implemented reasonable, proportionate or effective risk mitigation measures, noting that existing screentime and parental control tools are easy to dismiss, introduce limited friction and require additional time and skills from parents. At this stage, the Commission suggests that TikTok must change the basic design of its service, such as by disabling key addictive features like infinite scroll over time, implementing effective screen time breaks and adapting its recommender system, and confirms that these findings do not prejudge the final outcome. TikTok may now exercise its right to defence by examining the investigation files and responding in writing, while the European Board for Digital Services will be consulted before any final non-compliance decision, which could lead to a fine of up to 6% of TikTok’s worldwide annual turnover.