Water policy: list of priority substances, protection of the ecosystem and human health COMMPS

PURPOSE : to adopt the list of priority substances in the field of water policy. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 2455/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the list of priority substances in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC. CONTENT : Under Directive 2000/60/EC specific measures must be adopted at Community level against pollution of water by individual pollutants or groups of pollutants presenting a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment. Such measures are aimed at progressive reduction, and, for priority hazardous substances, at the cessation or phasing out of discharges, and losses within 20 years after their adoption at Community level, with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations in the marine environment approaching background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero for man-made synthetic substances. This Decision establishes, as an Annex to Directive 2000/60/EC, the list of 33 priority substances, including priority hazardous substances. This list has been selected on the basis of the COMMPS procedure (combined monitoring-based and modelling-based priority setting scheme.) This list of priority substances will replace the list of substances in the Commission Communication of 22/06/82. The Decision provides that, in order to ensure consideration of all potential priority substances, the Commission and Member states will see to it that the substance and exposure-related data needed for the implementation of the COMMPS procedure are made available. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 16 December 2001.�