Our Publications

FIEC and EurEau encourage the EU to maintain EPR in the recast UWWTD

Call to swiftly implement the recast UWWTD to protect public health, the environment and Europe’s competitiveness

We strongly believe that the rUWWTD is a crucial tool for improving Europe’s water quality, protecting aquatic biodiversity and public health. Its EPR scheme is a proportionate instrument to encourage sustainable market practices and pollution reduction whilst spreading the cost of pollution equitably and protecting the European food value chain.

Water is vital for Europe’s future as Europe’s prosperity depends on water and only a stable regulatory environment can safeguard our progress.

The Water Resilience Strategy’s call for better implementation of existing legislation must also include the rules regarding pesticide authorisation in order to protect public health. Simplifying the agricultural acquis must not be at the expense of resilient water services.

This joint statement by 42 organisations calls on EU policymakers to ensure chemical transparency and traceability in products as part of the transition to a clean and circular economy. It highlights the risks of hazardous substances to recycling, water services, public health, and competitiveness, urging strong implementation of existing strategies and regulations.

This paper examines the financing of micropollutant removal under the EU’s recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), which introduces an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Since pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are identified as major sources of micropollutants in urban wastewater, their producers will be required to cover at least 80% of the associated treatment costs. The paper highlights that this approach reflects the polluter-pays principle, helps protect water affordability for citizens, and ensures that both EU and non-EU producers contribute equally to the cost burden.

The recast UWWTD is a crucial tool for improving Europe’s water quality, protecting aquatic biodiversity and public health as well as promoting circular solutions. Its EPR scheme is a proportionate instrument to encourage sustainable market practices and pollution reduction whilst spreading the cost of pollution equitably. We therefore call on the European Commission to uphold this approach and avoid any revisions that would jeopardise a timely, equitable, and effective implementation of the recast Directive.

Healthy waters are not only a vital natural resource for human well-being and the environment but also a key driver
of Europe’s resilience and global competitiveness. Only by upholding the integrity of the WFD, maintaining a strong,
predictable regulatory framework, and ensuring its effective implementation can we safeguard Europe’s water
resources while fostering innovation, investment, and economic prosperity.