WRITTEN QUESTION E-0141/02 by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The 1976 EC Bathing Water Directive.
Date: 2002-02-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, bathing water, environmental standard, quality of the environment, water pollution, water protection, water treatment

C 172 E/154

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

appropriations available in the framework of the appropriations assigned to trans-European networks and
research. Moreover, the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (RTD)
makes space a priority area. These proposals will be based on public and private sector funding. Each
sector’s contribution will be determined on the basis of the proposals to be made by the joint undertaking
depending on the results of the tender competitions it launches for selecting the Galileo operator or
operators. As for all such infrastructure projects, it is not possible at this stage to give more precise figures.

The commercial operation phase will start in 2008. The most recent studies anticipate gradually decreasing
public funding until 2015. It should be pointed out that EU contributions during the operation phase are
in fact compensation for services provided by the operator. The effects of this on public expenditure could
be offset by the yield from possible charges or taxes on the receivers.

In conclusion, except for the development phase funded by the European Space Agency, national budgets
will not bear any of the public funding costs for the various phases of the Galileo programme.

(2002/C 172 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0141/02

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: The 1976 EC Bathing Water Directive

There are millions of water users who use Europe’s coastal and inland waters each year. Would the
Commission agree that a number of changes to the legislation should be made in order that these water
users get the protection they deserve?

Will the Commission ensure when Directive 76/160/EEC (1) is revised that the following will be taken into
account?

Recent independent medical research has shown that there is an increased risk of gastro-intestinal illnesses
when faecal streptococci levels exceed just 35 per 100 ml. However, levels of faecal streptococci have been
found at 10 000 per 100 ml of water off the Anglesey (North Wales) coast.

Additional tertiary treatment processes using ultra violet light or microfiltration can reduce faecal bacteria
to just 35 per 100 ml, a 285-fold improvement over the levels permissible under the mandatory standard
and a near 60-fold improvement over the guideline standard.

Will the Commission therefore agree that present regulatory standards are woefully inadequate and the
introduction of far stricter standards that oblige water companies to build all new treatment plants to ‘full’
treatment standards is necessary?

The EC Bathing Water Directive states that ‘in order to protect the environment and public health, it is
necessary to reduce the pollution of bathing water and to protect such water against further deterioration’.
Does the Commission agree that present standards fail to do this?

(1) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2002)

The Commission agrees that the bathing water Directive (1) should be revised. Full reasons for this were
explained in the Communication from the Commission to the Parliament and Council developing a new
bathing water policy (2).

18.7.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/155

The Commission bases this revision upon epidemiological research done by the World Health Organisation
(WHO) (3), confirmed by further epidemiological studies. The WHO report states how gastro-intestinal risk
levels relate to concentrations of
in bathing water.
According to the WHO, the value of 35 colony-forming units (cfu) faecal streptococci mentioned by the
Honourable Member is below the NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level). The Commission agrees
however that 10 000 cfu FS per 100 ml is a very high concentration and would be pleased to receive more
detailed information on how and on which site this result was obtained.

Intestinal Enterococci

(Faecal Streptococci

(FS))

The general water quality of inland and coastal waters is subject to the urban wastewater Directive
(Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment (4) as amended by
Directive 98/15/EC of 27 February 1998 (5)), the Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC of
12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from
agricultural sources (6)), the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the
Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water
policy (7)) and the relating monitoring schemes. Following the urban wastewater Directive, secondary
treatment is a rule, but Member States must provide higher standards in order to comply with all Council
Directives. The new and revised bathing water Directive will, when adopted, oblige Member States to make
their bathing waters comply with new parameters and thresholds.

Under the influence of the current directive, European bathing water quality has improved considerably.
From 1993 up to the year 2000, coastal bathing water quality has increased every year, as the compliance
rate has moved upwards from 74 % to almost 97 %. For freshwater zones, compliance rate has also
increased every year, and has now reached 94 % (30 % only in 1993).

Taking into account public health, the revised directive aims at a further improvement of bathing water
quality.

(1) Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975 concerning the quality of bathing water.
(2) COM(2000) 860 final.
(3) See http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/Recreational_water/wsh01-2.pdf.
(4) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(5) OJ L 67, 7.3.1998.
(6) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991.
(7) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2002/C 172 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0146/02

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Establishment of a European Civil Protection Agency

(1 February 2002)

In Europe, civil protection in relation to natural disasters comes under the responsibility of the Member
States. In some of these countries the lack of provision and awareness in this area is quite alarming.

The Commission:

1. Does it not consider that it should set up a European Civil Protection Agency, to be responsible for
including work carried out on a

risk detection and prevention and management of emergencies,
voluntary basis?

2. What measures does it intend to promote to harmonise the laws of EU member States in the field of

civil protection?

3. Would it agree that appropriations should be entered in the budget E along the same lines as the
successful experience of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency E with a view not only to
repairing the damage caused by natural disasters, but above all to funding preventive action to
eradicate or reduce wherever possible the causes of disasters?