On 17 June, after an agreement was reached with the Council, the European Parliament voted by a large majority in support of new EU water quality rules. This vote puts an end to the finalisation of the EU Water Framework Directive, proposed in 2000.
A central point is the Member States commitment to comply with environmental quality standards for 33 pollutants by 2018. These standards are based on maximum concentration levels and yearly average pollutant values harmonised throughout the EU. The Commission qualified 13 of them as 'priority hazardous' which need to be entirely phased out within 20 years.
The demand of the European Parliament’s environment committee to significantly expand the list was unsuccessful, but this could be possible pending a Commission review in 2013, or two years after the law enters into force in 2011.
By 2009 the European Commission will already measure Member States progress on the phasing out of priority hazardous substances for river basins.
More information on europa and euractiv websites
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