European Environment Ministers reached a qualified majority on Wednesday 26 June in Luxembourg on the Council of the EU's position on the proposal for a Regulation establishing minimum water quality requirements for the safe reuse of reclaimed water destined to be used for agricultural irrigation.
This future regulation will make it possible both to cope with water shortages, which are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, and to promote the circular economy while leaving the Member States free to decide whether or not to resort to this practice in the immediate future (see EUROPE 12273/5).
All delegations underlined this during the debate preceding the political agreement ('General Approach') of the Council of the EU. The outgoing Romanian Presidency was thanked for the enormous amount of compromise work it had done. The agreed upon text was considered by almost all delegations as a balance between the need to protect the environment, human and animal health and not to add unnecessary administrative burdens to countries in the South, which already have satisfactory experience in reusing wastewater to irrigate their crops.
Germany and Slovakia, which would have liked a higher level of ambition for the protection of human health, abstained.
"We are taking a step forward in putting into place new rules that will allow us to reclaim water without endangering humans, animals and the environment. It is appropriate to set harmonised minimum standards for the quality of reclaimed water and for monitoring its compliance, so that our farmers can use it. This includes building on the successful experience gained by some Member States in water reuse over several decades", said Romanian Minister Ioan Denes, who chaired the debate.
The agreement reached will be the Council of the EU's position for the negotiations that can be opened under the Finnish Presidency with the new European Parliament (see EUROPE 12192/2).
It provides for an exemption clause for Member States that do not wish to use this practice at this stage (Article 2). It will be sufficient for these countries to justify their request for exemption.
Depending on the results of the risk assessment for human and animal health or the environment, carried out on the basis of the key elements of risk management specified in Annex I, Member States would be allowed to apply more stringent values to the quality requirements for reclaimed water.
A revision clause of the Regulation is foreseen, 8 years after its entry into force.
The text provides for the possibility for the Commission to revise the quality requirements for recycled water as soon as new scientific knowledge becomes available (new Article 13.3). Germany and Slovakia, like Sweden, would have liked the Commission to be required to revise the legislation at that time. However, Sweden has agreed to join the compromise in order not to prevent negotiations with Parliament.
Water reclamation facilities, which are already in operation and will meet the reclaimed water quality requirements (set out in Appendix I) when the regulations come into force, would be exempt from the monitoring and validation obligations normally required before a new reclamation facility is commissioned.
The Commissioner of the Environment, Karmenu Vella, recalled that the minimum requirements of Annex I “are based on scientific data”. He assured the Commission of its readiness to assist the Council of the EU and Parliament in the interinstitutional negotiations. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)