Newsletter - June/July 2023
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EurEau News
EurEau’s new board takes up their roles
EurEau’s new President, Committee Chairs and Executive Committee began their new mandate on 01 July 2023. Pär Dalhielm was elected as the new EurEau President in May. You can find more information on our governance here.
EurEau publishes its position on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA)
The Commission’s GIA proposal is currently making its way through the Parliament and the Council. EurEau supports its goals as high-speed telecom networks are essential for the digitalisation of water services. In our position, we call on the co-legislators to maintain the exclusion of drinking water networks from infrastructure that may be used for the roll-out of high-speed telecom networks. Human health must take precedence. We also see the need to maintain permitting procedures for telecom infrastructure works.
Speaking out
EurEau was represented by the chair of our Agriculture Working Group, Dr Carsten Schmidt, at the European Parliament Intergroup event addressing ‘Next generation agriculture – Harnessing alternative solutions for the SUR’, which took place on 5 July. Carsten spoke about the need to protect drinking water resources from contamination based on our members’ experience with chemically-synthesized pesticides.
EurEau participated in the online workshop ‘Implementation of the Polluter Pays Principle in the EU’, organised in the context of the fitness check of the application of the PPP in environmental policy to be carried out by the European Commission, which took place on 7 July. Gari Villa-Landa presented the lack of implementation of the Principle in the water sector.
EU news
Water legislation
UWWTD: vote date confirmed
In the European Parliament, the Compromise Amendments on the UWWTD are being discussed among the Rapporteur and the Shadow Rapporteurs. The vote in the ENVI Committee is scheduled for 21 September, and in the Plenary for 16 October.
Regarding the Council, the Spanish confirmed that the file will be a priority during their Presidency (July-December 2023).
We attended a stakeholder meeting on the UWWTD, organised by the Belgian Presidency, which will take up the reins in January 2024.
Bathing Water Report 2022: now published
The annual Bathing Waters report from the European Environment Agency was published on 9 June. The summary can be found .
The Commission is expected to publish its Evaluation of the Bathing Water Directive by June 2024.
Water and agriculture
Sustainable Use of Pesticides: additional Commission impact assessment defends SUR proposal
Following a request from Member States, the Commission conducted additional research on the impact the proposed 50% cut in pesticide use could have on food security that the draft Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR) outlines. The study concludes that the impact will vary but the reduction in pesticide use would have the largest impact on crops that have ‘little or no impact on food security’.
EurEau calls for the better protection of drinking water resources. Too many water bodies contain traces of pesticides and their metabolites which may require costly extra treatment to protect the health of drinking water consumers.
The bill is unlikely to be finalised before the end of 2023. In particular, the EPP decided to reject to proposal altogether, complicating negotiations in the Parliament.
Soil Monitoring Law: proposal published
Healthy soil is paramount for groundwater and water services operators. EurEau welcomes the introduction of a as published on 5 July and calls for a strong link between soil and ground- and surface water - quality. Read more.
Nutrient Management Action Plan: proposal imminent
The Commission’s long-awaited Nutrient Management Action Plan, initially expected to be published simultaneously with the Soil Monitoring Law on 5 July 2023, has not been unveiled so far. EurEau expects that this plan, together with the Soil Monitoring Law, will lead to the better protection of our groundwater resources while facilitating the recycling of nutrients from wastewater streams and the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes.
Water and the environment
Environmental Quality Standards: EP votes to reinforce control at source and Polluter Pays Principles
The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee has adopted its position on a new law amending environmental quality standards (EQS) for surface water and groundwater, with amendments that strengthen the Polluter Pays and Control-at-Source Principles through an explicit hierarchy of measures – something we have long called for. Read more. The Plenary vote will take place on 11 September, while in the Council the Spanish presidency is expected to start discussions on the text over the summer.
PFAS: ECHA agrees REACH restriction proposal for PFAS in fire-fighting foams
The Risk Assessment and Economic and Social Analysis Committees of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have adopted their REACH restriction proposal phasing out the use of ‘forever’ chemicals in fire-fighting foams. ECHA will now finalise the restriction text and send it to the European Commission, which will have to decide on whether to draw up a REACH restriction proposal (annex XVII).
EurEau has actively contributed to the ECHA work and has consistently called for a fast and full ban of all PFAS uses in fire-fighting foams.
Industrial Emissions Directive: Plenary vote backs water protection
The negotiating mandate adopted on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) by the European Parliament on 11 July secures important safeguards for the aquatic environment and water services, but rolls back ambitious proposals on water efficiency. Read more here.
You can see the full amendments adopted by the EP .
Ahead of the vote, we co-signed a letter to urge the Parliament to introduce vital protection for pollution victims in the IED.
Nature Restauration Law: saved in EP plenary
The Commission’s proposal to restore parts of our natural spaces met with fierce resistance from certain political groups in the Parliament but efforts to completely reject it failed in a decisive on 12 July. The text adopted by MEPs weakens the Commission proposal, but leaves some basic ambitions intact, as does the Council’s General Approach. Member States were facing equally difficult discussions but finally succeeded in adopting a common position on the draft law.
EurEau supports the Commission proposal since healthy natural spaces are a prerequisite for healthy water cycles.
Taxonomy: proposal published
The Commission published the (13 June). It includes:
- EU Taxonomy Environmental Delegated Act, which sets the criteria for economic activities making a substantial contribution to one or more of the non-climate environmental objectives, namely sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention and control, and, protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems), as well as the amendments to the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act.
- Proposal for a Regulation on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating activities.
- The Commission’s recommendation on facilitating finance for the transition to a sustainable economy.
Other news
EurEau representatives nominated
Jo Severyns (Belgium) will represent EurEau in the CIS WG chemicals. The Common Implementation Strategy aims first and foremost at supporting the implementation of the Water Framework Directive by working out coherent guidance papers for key areas of the Directive which are equally comprehensible for all stakeholders.
Anders Finnson (Sweden, and Chairperson of our JWG on the WFD) will represent EurEau at the Fertilisers Market Observatory set up by DG AGRI. The goal of the Observatory is to give the Commission advice and expertise on the fertiliser market.
Ole Steensberg Øgelund (Denmark) and Anders Finnson will represent us on the ResNRJwater project. ResNRJwater deals with the challenge of raising the renewable energy potentials from the water and wastewater sector in North-West Europe and aims at turning its infrastructures and assets into energy factories.
Events
20-24 August 2023 – World Water Week in Stockholm and online. Read the programme .
5-7 September 2023 – NORDIWA call for abstracts for the conference to take place in Gothenburg, Sweden. More on …
16-19 October 2023 - Europe-INBO International Conference in Valencia, Spain. More information .
23-25 October 2023 - Critical Infrastructure of Cities CIC 2023 in Nowy Sącz, Poland; this conference takes into account current issues of security of the broadly understood critical infrastructure, environmental protection and health of residents and regarding smart cities. More information soon.
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