Water and agriculture
Nitrates Directive
The Commission launched the evaluation of this Directive with a call for evidence and a public consultation, with a deadline of early March.
Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation: staying alive… but only just
After the Commission’s proposal was rejected by Parliament, the Belgian Council presidency is trying to keep the initiative alive. In a ‘tentative strategy’ based on new Commission proposals, they want to start from the current compromise text but improve the measures related to Integrated Pest Management implementation and biocontrol tools. Measures for sensitive areas and the protection of drinking water resources would be excluded and the toothless provisions of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive would be maintained.
Even this weakened approach does currently not gather sufficient support in Council.
Water and the environment
Microplastics pollution: Commission Proposal to prevent pellet losses
We are finalising our position on reducing reducing microplastics. We shared our views with the European Parliament. We advocate extending the control at source approach for pellet losses and the accountability of those behind such losses.
Mercury Regulation: ban incoming
The European Parliament’s Plenary vote took place on January 18, voting to support the introduction of a ban in 2025. EurEau supports this stance. We also circulated our position paper to the Belgian Presidency.
PFAS pollution: The long way towards a ban
Based on the proposal of five countries, the European Chemicals Agency ECHA is working on a REACH restriction proposal to ban all non-essential PFAS uses. Following the public consultation of 2023, a revised proposal is in preparation.
Amid increasing resistance from the PFAS industry, EurEau is campaigning in support of a far-reaching PFAS ban. New requirements for drinking water, wastewater, surface water and groundwater bodies to protect public health and the environment must be addressed at the source of the pollution.
IED: final text marks victory for water protection
We welcome the agreement reached in trilogue on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) last month, which brings important advances for the protection of water resources and water infrastructure from industrial pollution. The final text, expected to receive approval in the coming months, introduces binding water efficiency targets for industrial sites as well as stricter limits on the emission of pollutants. The revised Directive also requires an open dialogue between industries discharging into urban sewers and the affected wastewater operators, and promotes greater transparency notably by making permits and emission monitoring results public.
Detergents Regulation: Cleaning up our environment
The EU Parliament’s ENVI committee is currently negotiating compromise amendments on the Commission proposal for the revised Regulation. We are pleased to see that the Committee is going beyond the Commission’s approach, by including measures to ensure detergents do not harm the environment and affect wastewater treatment. The ENVI Committee vote will take place in mid-February.
As progress in Council remains slow, the Regulation is unlikely to be approved before the European elections.
Textile Labelling: EurEau calls for more information on hazardous substances
The Commission intends to update the Textile Labelling Regulation with a view to improving information to consumers and ensuring a level playing field.
In response to the public consultation, EurEau calls on policymakers to inform consumers about the presence of hazardous substances in textiles (in particular PFAS and biocides), the shedding of microfibres and overall water use.
This Regulation currently focuses on textile fibre names and related labelling.
