position of the Council on the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the

2017/0332 (COD)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION

TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT



pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union



concerning the

position of the Council on the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.Background

Date of transmission of the proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council

(document COM(2017) 753 final – 2017/0332 COD): 1 February 2018 Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee: 11 July 2018 Date of the opinion of the Committee of the Regions: 16 May 2018 Date of the position of the European Parliament, first reading: 28 March 2019 Date of adoption of the position of the Council: 23 October 2020

2.Objective of the proposal from the Commission

The overarching objective of the proposal was to ensure a high level of protection of the environment and of human health from the adverse effects of contaminated drinking water. The revision followed also from the result of the first-ever successful European citizens' initiative 'Right2Water'. The proposal aimed to update water quality standards, to introduce a risk-based approach to drinking water management, to improve consumers’ access to information on water quality and water and to improve access to water. In addition, the proposal also addressed the issue of materials in contact with drinking water.

3.Comments on the position of the Parliament

The European Parliament adopted its first reading position on 28 March 2019. The amendments to the Commission proposal aimed at improving access to water (including amendment to the article on ‘Objectives’), introducing a new article on materials in contact with water, increasing attention to microplastics, and introducing some exemptions to the risk-based approach. The Parliament also proposed a less ambitious approach to transparency and access to information than in the Commission proposal.

Following the Council's adoption of its first reading position, the European Parliament is expected to formally endorse the agreement found in trilogues.

4.Comments on the position of the Council

The Council's position reflects the agreement found in trilogues. Overall, this agreement represents a balanced outcome between the positions of the co-legislators, preserves the Commission’s initial objectives, and maintains a similar level of ambition as in the Commission proposal.

In particular, the Council position supports and further refines the Commission proposal by:

–maintaining the original Commission’s ambitions on access to water,

–improving and including more details on the risk-based approach to drinking water management,

–setting minimum harmonised requirements for materials in contact with drinking water (this new provision is accompanied by a legislative financial statement which was endorsed by co-legislators at the final trilogue),

–introducing a new requirement on water leakages, and

–introducing a watch list concept to address pollutants of emerging concern such as endocrine-disruptors, pharmaceuticals and microplastics.