EurEau newsletter - June 2025
EurEau News
Brian Murphy announced as EurEau Vice President
Following from the Executive Committee and Committee Chair elections in May, EurEau is pleased to announce that Brian Murphy is nominated as Vice President for the next two years.
In his role as Vice President, Brian is looking forward to actively working with stakeholders, building on the publication of the Water Resilience Strategy to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing our sector. More …
Oliver Loebel appointed as EBC chairman of the Board
EurEau Secretary General, Oliver Loebel, is appointed as chair of the Board of Administration of the European Benchmarking Cooperation (EBC) for the 2025-2026 period.
The EBC is currently looking for a new Programme Coordinator. More information about the position and how to apply is
Speaking out
Ragnhild Aalstad, our General Assembly representative for Norway, represented us at the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Leaders’ Summit in Oslo on 24-25 June, speaking at the high-level political session on water resilience.
On 27 June, Sébastien Mouret, EurEau Policy Advisor, contributed to the European Economic and Social Committee’s expert hearing on the Water Resilience Strategy.
EU news
Legislative developments
Water Resilience Strategy: Water services welcome integrated approach but expect more concrete action
We welcome the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy, published in June.
This is a milestone, which puts this precious resource higher in the European agenda and acknowledges its strategic value for resilient societies. We are pleased that the Commission makes a clear link between water quality and quantity, and recognises the need for a holistic approach to water.
On some aspects, however, the Strategy falls short. While we welcome the call for an improvement of water efficiency by 2030, we regret the absence of a target to reduce overall freshwater use. Water efficiency should not be a goal in itself but a tool for reducing pressure on Europe’s increasingly stressed water resources.
Read our full reaction here.
Water legislation
Drinking Water Directive: ECHA support for drinking water contact materials
The European Chemicals Agency ECHA is supporting the European Commission in implementing the provisions of the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) regarding drinking water contact materials. With a view to supporting stakeholders, ECHA maintains and updates its database of questions and answers with relevance to this topic.
The latest version is available (enter ‘Drinking Water Directive’ in the filter).
Furthermore, the ECHA developed a new explaining the processes for submitting notifications of intention and applications under the DWD.
Finally, but not in the least, ECHA will organise a in Helsinki and online on 27-28.10.2025. The deadline for registration is 2.9.2025.
Water and agriculture
Fertilising Products Regulation: Commission kick-starts evaluation
The Commission published the , the first step in the evaluation process of this Regulation. While the Regulation obliges the Commission to assess its impact on the Internal Market, cadmium levels and restrictions for contaminants, the assessment is likely to cover a wider range of aspects.
EurEau sees this Regulation as an important tool for nutrient recycling and calls for a minimum share of phosphorous from organic sources in mineral fertilisers.
The FPR lays down common rules on safety, quality and labelling requirements for CE-marked fertilising products.
Fertilising Products Regulation: EU approves recycled phosphorus for use in organic farming
Through its Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/973, the Commission has approved recovered calcium phosphate derived from sewage sludge ash for use as fertiliser in organic agriculture. This follows a positive recommendation from the Commission expert group on organic production, EGTOP.
EurEau welcomes this decision, which shows how the water services sector can contribute to sustainable food security in Europe.
The Implementing Regulation is
Nutrients recycling: EurEau joins call for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act
The forthcoming Circular Economy Act must give a boost to nutrient recycling by removing regulatory, technical and economic barriers. This is the key message of a launched by the European sustainable Phosphorous Platform (ESPP) and co-signed by EurEau and other organisations.
The Commission proposal is expected for 2026.
Water and the environment
Chemicals: Co-legislators agree on one ‘substance one assessment'
The European Parliament and the Council Commission have reached a provisional agreement on the so-called ‘one substance, one assessment' (OSOA) package, which had initially been announced in the .
EurEau supports this agreement which should avoid conflicting assessments and regulatory deadlocks, and improve access to information on chemicals through a common data platform. The co-legislators still need to formally adopt the package before it can enter into force.
PFAS: ECHA continues work on restriction
The European Chemicals Agency’s Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) progressed their evaluation of the proposed at their June meetings.
Both committees reached provisional conclusions for PFAS uses in medical devices. Additionally, RAC reached provisional conclusions for lubricants and SEAC for transport.
For September, ECHA will address electronics and semiconductors (RAC/SEAC), PFAS manufacturing (RAC/SEAC), horizontal issues such as enforceability, concentration limits and analytical methods (RAC/SEAC), energy (SEAC cont.), and lubricants (SEAC cont.) (Source: ECHA).
EurEau actively contributes to this work. A prompt and far-reaching PFAS ban is the only solution to protect us and future generations from harmful exposure to these ‘forever chemicals’.
Pharmaceuticals: Council adopts position
Member States reached an agreement in June on the Pharmaceuticals legislative package, which aims to reform how medicines are authorised for sale in the EU. The Council position largely maintains the environmental safeguards introduced by the Commission proposal, but carves out more possibilities to derogate from these requirements.
EurEau cautiously welcomes this agreement and looks forward to the upcoming trilogues. The Danish presidency has indicated its intention to conclude inter-institutional negotiations by the end of the year.
Detergents: New rules to improve health, environment and circularity
The co-legislators reached a provisional deal on the updated rules for detergents and surfactants on 10 June. Overall, we welcome the new rules that set the necessary basis for further improvements in terms of protecting human health and ecosystems. However, much more will need to be done to apply the principle of the Water Resilience Strategy by effectively tackling pollution at its source and thereby strengthening the circularity potential of treated wastewater.
Read more here.
Water as an essential service
Security research: Commission publishes call for projects
The Commission published a new call for projects under the Civil Security for Society cluster of the Horizon Europe fund. With an estimated budget of nearly €250 million, the call for proposals touches upon topics such as EU external border management, protection of infrastructure, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, the protection of EU citizens against crime and terrorism, as well as strengthened security research and innovation (source: CERIS).
Read more .
Other news
Nature Between Waters
Apa Nova București has initiated an interesting project called Nature Between Waters, from a simple but essential belief: that modern infrastructure and care for nature must evolve together.
Through this project, they are directly involved in the restoration and conservation of wetlands near Bucharest, true ecosystems that shelter an impressive biodiversity:
- rehabilitating natural habitats
- protecting local species
- giving living, valuable and sustainable green spaces back to the community.
It is a long-term effort, but with real effects on the environment, on water and on the quality of life of each of us.
Follow the story of the Nature Between Waters project:
Events
24-28 August 2025 – SIWI , Stockholm
15-17 September 2025 - the takes place in Turin. The school is designed as a high-level training and exchange platform bringing together researchers, practitioners, and institutions working toward sustainable and circular water management. More information is available here:
23-25 September 2025 - , Oslo
24 September 2025 – Workshop on PFAS and water resilience hosted by Heléne Fritzon (MEP, Sweden) and co-organised by Svenskt Vatten and EurEau.
7-8 October 2025 - - Achieving Zero Pollution of Persistent and Mobile Substances: Removal through Technical Solutions, Lesvos, Greece More details at .
5-6 November 2025 - WWT’s Drinking Water Quality Europe Conference.
- Created on .