MEPs support better protection of groundwater and surface waters

Article summary

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have adopted their position on a new law to protect groundwater and surface waters from pollution and improve water quality standards, with 69 votes in favour. The new legislation will revise Directive 2000/60/EC (the Water Framework Directive), Directive 2006/118/EC (the Groundwater Directive) and Directive 2008/105/EC (the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (Surface Water Directive)). MEPs have proposed that the ‘watch list’ of substances which could pose a significant risk to human health and the environment should not be limited to the European Commission’s proposals, but instead be updated frequently in line with new scientific evidence and development. MEPs also proposed that the threshold values applicable to groundwater be ten times lower than those for surface water, and for producers of products containing pollutant substances to contribute towards the EU Member States’ monitoring costs.