Debate: Quality of water intended for human consumption – Implementation of the EU water legislation
Date: TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2020
Speaker: Janusz Wojciechowski
Language: EN

The European Union has every reason to be proud of its water acquis. It has halted water deterioration, brought unprecedented governance to transboundary water management and laid the foundations to deliver on the human right to water.  Nevertheless, four major crises threaten our waters: the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, the pollution crisis, the resources crisis, and, on top of that, we now have the COVID crisis as well. Business as usual is not an option. I can assure this House of the Commission’s commitment to supporting Member States in their efforts to step up implementation of the water directives. When we received their legislation in a comprehensive fitness check, we found it broadly fit for purpose with some room for improvement.  At this stage, we see no need to revise the Water Framework Directive beyond updating the lists of surface and groundwater pollutants to align them with science. The year 2027 is the final deadline to achieve good status for surface and groundwaters. The next river basin management plans, covering the 2021—2027 period, will be critical in this respect.  The Commission is working closely with the Member States through the common implementation strategy, peer—to—peer assistance, the LIFE programme and various research projects. You ask for effective compliance. As the guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue to act with determination to enforce the directives. We have announced a set of EU pilots based on the country—specific gaps identified in the fitness check and in the second river basin management plans, and we will not hesitate to use the infringement procedure, should this prove necessary. Under the Green Deal, we have presented a revision of the Aarhus mechanism to improve access to justice. We need enforcement to work better at national level too. Policy coherence is key. We cannot fight pollution with one hand and do harm with the other.  This brings me to the importance of the Green Deal and the integrated and coordinated solutions it offers for crises that are complex and interlinked. Water is a recurring theme in the Green Deal initiatives. The circular economy action plan features water efficiency and reuse. The biodiversity strategy includes the restoration of rivers and wetlands. The farm to fork strategy covers nutrients, pesticides and eco—schemes, and forthcoming initiatives like the climate adaptation strategy and the zero pollution action plan reserve a special place for water. I’d like, therefore, to ask the honourable Members to make sure that this coordinated approach is maintained here in Parliament as well when processing the different elements of the Green Deal.  You have repeatedly called for more harmonised criteria on pollution thresholds, more action on pollutants of emerging concern and better information. We therefore very much welcome the formal adoption of the recast of the Drinking Water Directive this week. This revamped piece of EU water law on which we managed to find an agreement in trilogues almost exactly one year ago was a precursor of the European Green Deal. Now it is making a concrete contribution to climate change, the circular economy, zero pollution for a toxic—free environment, and thus to biodiversity as well.  Next year, the Commission will present the zero pollution action plan, the first integrated EU framework to holistically tackle and inform policymakers and the general public on pollution of air, water and soil.  We are already at work on many of its components. We are updating the legislation on environmental quality standards for both surface and groundwaters and revising both the Industrial Emissions Directive and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in continuous coordination with the scientific community and stakeholders. Our aim is to become collectively better equipped in tackling pollution at source and its key pathways. In doing so, we will factor in the lessons learned from the COVID—19 crisis to make better use of water surveillance with a view to becoming better prepared and more resilient. To finish, a word on financing. Member States’ efforts to draft the third river basin management plans coincide with the imminent adoption of the reinforced multiannual financial framework and the Next Generation EU instrument. The OECD estimates the European Union’s needs for water supply and sanitation at around EUR 289 billion for the next 10 years. We have to become fairer and better apply the laws so that the burden to pay is put on all water users and those who pollute it at its source. To conclude, it will be important to be generous with our rivers. If we restore them to health, they are sure to return the favour.