The European Commission released a series of reports yesterday (05.02.25) highlighting the state of Europe’s water bodies. The findings confirm that most of these water bodies are polluted with mercury and other toxic chemicals, requiring urgent action to meet EU freshwater quality and quantity standards.

EurEau has long called for the EU to take decisive action to halt and reverse the degradation of our water resources. The reports highlight once again the pressures put on surface water by diffuse pollution from the air and from agriculture, which affect 59% and 32% of water bodies, respectively. This should be a wake-up call to the fact that compliance with the Water Framework Directive requires an effort from all of society, beyond just the water sector.

Pollution from urban wastewater is about 14%, making it a minor contributor compared to other sources and we expect this to fall with the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. In addition, in our recent narrative paper, PFAS Phase Out: A Prerequisite for a Water-Resilient Europe (January 2025), we highlight the urgent need to address PFAS contamination.

The EU has made key recommendations to Member States to improve water management by 2027, including:

• Increase compliance with EU water laws by adhering to pollution limits, particularly nutrient pollution from agriculture, and ensuring that wastewater discharge is dealt with properly to protect the environment and human health
• Ensure sufficient financing to address funding gaps and guarantee effective implementation of water management measures
• Implement additional measures to address persistent environmental challenges, such as chemical pollution
• Promote water reuse and increase efficiency and circularity to prevent aquifer overexploitation, combat illegal abstractions, and mitigate droughts.

We fully support these recommendations, particularly compliance with existing EU water laws such as the Nitrates Directives and the Pesticides Regulation. We also hope that this renewed interest by the EU in water policy will be reflected in a robust Water Resilience Initiative that is due before the summer. Having adequate quantities of quality water is a prerequisite for a strong, competitive and sustainable Europe.