No C 43/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 2. 88 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Amended proposal for a Council Directive on water quality objectives for chromium and limits 
for chromium in waters (') 
COM(88) 29 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty 
on 3 February 1988) 
(88/C 43/08) 
(') O] No C 351, 31. 12. 1985, p. 33. 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL MODIFIED PROPOSAL 
Title Title 
Proposal for a Council Directive on water quality 
objectives for chromium 
Whereas the national programmes to reduce pollution 
must include quality objectives for water and set 
deadlines for their implementation; 
2. This Directive shall apply to the waters referred to 
in Article 1 of Directive 76/464/EEC, with the exception 
of groundwater, water intended for human consumption 
and surface water intended for the abstraction of 
drinking water. Proposal for a Council Directive on water quality 
objectives for chromium and limits for chromium in 
waters 
Whereas the national programmes to reduce pollution 
must include quality objectives for water and set 
deadlines for their implementation; whereas discharges 
into waters which are liable to contain chromium shall 
require prior authorization in which emission standards 
shall be laid down; 
2. This Directive shall apply to the waters referred to 
and defined in Article 1 of Directive 76/464/EEC, with 
the exception of groundwater, water intended for human 
consumption and surface water intended for the 
abstraction of drinking water. Citations and first and second recitals unchanged 
Third recital 
Remaining recitals to Article 1 (1) unchanged 
Article 1 (2) 
Article 2 (a) and (b) unchanged 
16. 2. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 43/7 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL MODIW-D PROPOSAL 
Article 2 (c) and (d) 
New Article 2 (c) 
(c) 'programmes' means the programmes established by 
the Member States to reduce chromium pollution of 
water, as provided for by Article 7 (1) of Directive 
76/464/EEC. 
1. The national programmes must contain quality 
objectives which are at least as strict as the requirements 
listed in Annex I. 
Member States shall adapt their programmes in 
accordance with this Directive by 15 September 1986. 
Implementation of the programmes shall be completed 
by 15 September 1991. 
1. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission summaries of programmes pursuant to 
Article 7 (6) of Directive 76/464/EEC with respect'to 
chromium by 15 September 1986. 
1. Member States shall take the measures necessary to 
comply with this Directive by 15 September 1986. (c) 'total chromium' means the concentration of 
chromium in an unfiltered sample after vigorous 
treatment in a digester. 
(Article 2 (c) becomes Article 2 (d)) 
1. The national programmes must contain quality 
objectives which are at least as strict as the requirements 
listed in Annex I. Emission levels shall be laid down to 
meet these quality objectives which are at least as strict as 
those laid down in Annex I. 
Member States shall adapt their programmes in 
accordance with this Directive by 15 September 1988. 
Implementation of the programmes shall be completed 
by 15 September 1991. 
1. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission summaries of programmes pursuant to 
Article 7 (6) of Directive 76/464/EEC with respect to 
chromium by 15 September 1988. 
1. Member States shall take the measures necessary to 
comply with this Directive by 15 September 1988. Article 3 (!) 
Article 3 (2) unchanged 
Article 4 
Article 5 (7) 
Article 5 (2) unchanged 
Article 5 (3) 
... beginning in 1993 and at nine-yearly intervals ... beginning in 1993 and at six-yearly intervals there -
thereafter . . . after . . . 
Article 6(1) 
Articles 6 (2) and 7 unchanged 
No C 43/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 2. 88 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL MODIFIED PROPOSAL 
ANNEX I 
The programmes to reduce chromium pollution of water shall 
include quality objectives for the waters specified below 
The competent authority shall select from among the quality 
objectives listed in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 the objective or 
objectives that it deems appropriate having regard to the 
intended use of the area in question. 
1. The concentration of dissolved chromium in freshwater 
capable of supporting fish life and other aquatic fauna and 
flora shall not exceed the following values, depending on 
water hardness: 
2. In order to protect marine fauna and flora, the concentration 
of dissolved chromium in seawater must not exceed 15 fJ.g/1. 
3. The content of chromium in freshwater and/or seawater 
sediments and/or shellfish, must not increase significantly in 
the course of time. 
With the exception of the quality objective indicated in 
paragraph 1, all concentrations relate to the arithmetic mean 
of the results obtained over one year. 
3. The limits of detection shall be such that the chromium 
concentration can be measured to an accuracy of 30 % and a 
precision of 20 % at a concentration of 5 ug/1 or one-tenth 
of the chromium concentration specified in the quality 
objective, whichever is the greater. The programme to reduce chromium pollution shall include 
quality objectives for the waters specified below 
The competent authority shall apply the quality objectives listed 
in paragraph 1 and emission standards laid down in paragraph 2 
and dilution may not be used as a means of complying with the 
standard: 
1. The water or sediment shall have such a quality that 90 % of 
all measurements of chromium in a year remain below the 
following values: 
2. The concentration of total chromium in industrial discharges 
or cooling water discharges shall not exceed 2 milligrams/litre 
as measured on each analysis. 
3. The limits of detection shall be such that the chromium 
concentration can be measured to an accuracy of 50 % and a 
precision of 50 % at a concentration of 1 microgram/litre, an 
accuracy of 30 % and a precision of 20 % at a concentration 
of 5 micrograms/litre and an accuracy of 20 °/o and a 
precision of 15 % at a concentration of 15 micrograms per 
litre. 
Add new paragraph: 
4. Measurement of sediments must be carried out after 
treatment in a digester with the appropriate acid to put the 
chromium into solution so that the samples can be examined 
by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The limit of 
detection of the measurements should not be greater than 
20 milligrams per kilogram of sample. Water hardness 
(mg/1 CaCO,) 
Dissolved 
Chromium 
(tig/D 50 
5 50 to 100 
10 100 to 200 
20 200 
50 M A' 
inland surface water 
internal coastal and sea 
river sediments (excl 
estuaries) water 
uding Chromium 
Dissolved 
10 ug/1 
3 ug/1 Total 
15 ug/1 
5 ug/1 
(200 mg/kg 
of dry 
matter 
Annex II (1) and (2) unchanged 
Annex II (3)