Water policy: establishment of environmental quality standards (EQS)
The European Parliament adopted, by 673 votes to 10 with 5 abstentions, a legislative resolution, amending the Council’s common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy and amending Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/491/EEC, 86/280/EEC and 2000/60/EC. The recommendation for second reading (under the codecision procedure) had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Anne LAPERROUZE (ALDE, FR) on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
The amendments were the result of a compromise between the Council and the Parliament. The main ones are as follows:
Additional substances to be reviewed: a new Annex III contains a list of 13 substances subject to review for possible identification as priority substance or priority hazardous substances. These are in addition to the substances already identified in Annex II and include dioxins, PCBs and Bisphenol. Within the framework of the review of Annex X to Directive 2000/60/EC, the Commission shall consider, inter alia, the substances set out in Annex III for possible identification as priority substances or priority hazardous substances. The Commission shall report the outcome of its review to the European Parliament and to the Council 24 months after entry into force of the Directive. It shall accompany the report, if appropriate, with relevant proposals, in particular proposals to identify new priority substances or priority hazardous substances or to identify certain priority substances as priority hazardous substances and to set corresponding environmental quality standards for surface water, sediment or biota, as appropriate
Coordination: a new recital states that, in order to ensure consistent protection of surface water, Member States sharing bodies of surface water should coordinate their monitoring activities and, as appropriate, the compilation of inventories.
Mixing zones: Member States may designate mixing zones adjacent to points of discharge. Concentrations of one or more substances listed in Part A of Annex I may exceed the relevant EQS within such mixing zones if they do not affect the compliance of the rest of the body of surface water with those standards. Member States that designate mixing zones shall include in river basin management plans a description of: the approaches and methodologies applied to derive such zones; and measures taken with a view to reducing the extent of the mixing zones in the future, such as those pursuant to the Water Framework Directive or by reviewing permits referred to in Directive 2008/1/EC.
Establishment of inventories: Member States shall establish an inventory, including maps, if available, of emissions, discharges and losses of all priority substances and pollutants listed in Part A of Annex I to this Directive for each river basin district or part of a river basin district lying within their territory including their concentrations in sediment and biota, as appropriate.
Target dates: the Commission shall, by 2018, verify that emissions, discharges and losses as reflected in the inventory are making progress towards compliance with the reduction or cessation objectives laid down in Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive.)
Reporting and review: on the basis of reports from Member States, the Commission shall review the need to amend existing acts and for additional specific Community-wide measures, such as emission controls. It will report to the European Parliament and to the Council on: the conclusions of the review; the outcome of the verification referred to in Article 5(5) i.e by 2018 emissions and discharges are making progress towards reduction objectives; measures taken to reduce the extent of mixing zones; and the situation regarding pollution originating outside the territory of the Community.