EurEau News

Speaking Out

EurEau continues to make its voice heard across Europe!

Gari Villa-Landa, our Senior Policy Advisor, spoke at the 13th Public Utilities Conference in Slovenia on 19-20 September, providing an update on the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) recast. Following that, Gari attended the Festival dell’Acqua in Italy from 24-26 September, where she participated in a session on European and International Collaborations.

Oliver Loebel, EurEau Secretary General, took part in the panel discussion at the kick-off conference of the EU-funded ‘Accessible Climate-Conscious Essential Services,’ organised by SGI Europe on 30 September. Looking ahead, on 7 October, Oliver will meet with the Western Water Authorities of the Netherlands during the European Week of Regions and Cities. He will also speak virtually at the 5th Annual Conference on Water Finance and Investment, organised by the Union for the Mediterranean, on 14-15 October in Cairo, Egypt.

Gesche Gruetzmacher, our EU1 co-chair, represented EurEau at the workshop titled ‘Achieving Zero Pollution of Persistent and Mobile Substances through Substance Grouping and Risk Assessment,’ held in Dessau, Germany, on 19-20 September, and hosted by UBA.

EU news

Water legislation

Drinking Water Directive: PFAS Analytical Methods Published

In line with the 2020 Drinking Water Directive, the European Commission has published guidelines outlining the analytical methods for detecting PFAS 20 and PFAS Total in drinking water. After consulting with Member States and stakeholders, the document is now available in the EU Official Journal.

Water and agriculture

Pesticides: Guidance on Impact of Water Treatment Adopted

National competent authorities have adopted new guidance on the impact of water treatment processes on the residues of active substances in drinking water. While this addresses a long-standing EurEau request, it is disappointing that the requirements will only apply to active substance approvals and biocidal product authorisations submitted on or after 1 April 2026. As a result, the guidance will not be applied to the numerous applications submitted before this date, nor will it impact the assessment of active substances already in the Review Programme.

Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture: Final Report

Following widespread farmer protests earlier this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initiated a strategic dialogue between farmers and NGOs to formulate recommendations for the future of EU agriculture.

The final report suggests several key initiatives, including:

• Redirecting EU subsidies towards smaller farms and sustainable practices.
• Promoting plant-based diets.
• Introducing tailored greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
• Creating an EU-wide benchmark to assess farm sustainability.
• Supporting the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.

It remains unclear to what extent President von der Leyen will incorporate these recommendations into her vision for EU agriculture, which she pledged to deliver within her first 100 days in her renewed European Commission presidency.

You can access the full report here.

Water and the environment

PFAS: Restriction on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Clothing and Food Packaging

The European Commission has adopted a restriction on perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), following a positive vote by the REACH Committee. This restriction will ban the sale and use of PFHxA in consumer textiles (such as rain jackets), food packaging (including pizza boxes), consumer mixtures (like waterproofing sprays), cosmetics (including skincare products), and certain firefighting foam applications, particularly those used for training and testing.

Unlike Germany’s initial proposal, the restriction does not extend to other applications, such as semiconductors, batteries, or fuel cells for green hydrogen. The PFHxA restriction will take effect after transitional periods ranging from 18 months to 5 years, depending on the use. (Source: European Commission).

PFAS: ECHA Continues Work on Universal PFAS Restriction

EurEau attended the September meetings of the ECHA RAC and SEAC committees. Discussions covered emissions from the waste stage (including incineration and wastewater treatment) as well as sectors like textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel, carpets, food contact materials and packaging, and petroleum and mining.

The November meetings will finalise discussions on the sectors covered in September and initiate talks on construction products. We will keep an eye on the future of the restriction process, as the new European Commission no longer commits to phasing out all non-essential PFAS uses, but instead wants to bring clarity on PFAS.

‘Flushability’ of Products: EurEau Meets ISO on Proposed Standard

EurEau recently met with ISO/TC224 to share concerns about a standard for testing and labelling system for personal hygiene products used in bathrooms. If products pass disintegration tests, they would be authorised to carry a ‘fine to flush’ logo.

Other news

Von der Leyen Includes Water Resilience in Future Commissioner Portfolio 

Jessika Roswall has been nominated as the EU's new Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy. EurEau welcomes the explicit inclusion of water resilience in her portfolio, viewing it as a potential paradigm shift that places water at the heart of European policymaking.

Water4All Opens Call for Circular Economy Research Projects 

The Water4All Partnership has launched a Joint Transnational Call on "Water for Circular Economy" under the EU's Horizon programme. The call is open to research institutions and their partners, with the goal of delivering new solutions to develop circular feedstock and value chains, improve water resource efficiency, enhance water allocation, and optimise water use in water-dependent sectors. 

Proposals for the Water4All 2024 Joint Transnational Call must address at least one of the following topics:

1. Enhancement of water circularity in industries 

2. Urban water circularity 

3. Resource recovery and valorisation 

4. Economic, environmental, and social implications of water reuse and recovered products 

We are represented on the Water4All Stakeholder Advisory Board. More information can be found here.

Water Matters for Euronews Too! 

Euronews, the pan-European news channel, recently featured Sofia WWTP in Bulgaria as part of their "Water Matters" series for the European Commission. You can watch what our Bulgarian colleagues have been up to here.

SARS-CoV-2 ‘Cookbook’ 

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC), and with support from RIVM, Veolia, SUEZ, Water Futures, and KWR, has been at the forefront of promoting Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS). This effort has culminated in the release of the WBS ‘Cookbook’ – a guide that shares best practices, cutting-edge tools, and methodologies for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and preparing for future health threats. 

Volume 1 of the Cookbook can be downloaded here. Work on Volume 2, focused on Multi-Pathogen Surveillance, is already underway, with more updates to come soon.

European Patent Office Publishes Study and Espacenet Platform on Water Technologies 

Water scarcity and management are becoming increasingly critical global issues. The European Patent Office (EPO) has recognized water innovation as a key focus for the year and has released three new resources on water technologies. 

Their new study, *Innovation in Water-Related Technologies*, uses international patent data to examine developments and global trends in this field. Additionally, the EPO has launched a technology platform to help scientists and engineers navigate the vast array of free patent information on water technologies available through the Espacenet database. The platform also includes four new filters for water-related technologies in the EPO’s free Deep Tech Finder tool, which connects investment-ready European startups with investors.

Events

7 October 2024 – IAWD webinar on Drying Pipes: Navigating the Impact of Water Scarcity and Droughts on Water Supply (iawd.at) – 13:30-14:45. Register.

9 October 2024 - This workshop focuses on water resilience in the Mediterranean, featuring insights from several European provinces; Brussels, Belgium. More here.

10 October 2024 – webinar on Forecasting Change: Earth observation and AI Solutions for climate resilient water resources management (iawd.at) – 12:00-13:15CET. Register.