The roadmap for the assessment and possible revision of the EU Bathing Water Directive, published on 4 March by the European Commission, is open for feedback until 1 April.
The objective of the initiative is to examine whether the 2006 Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) has contributed to protecting public health and improving water quality and to prepare its possible revision, if necessary.
A public consultation is planned for the second quarter of this year and the adoption of the possible updated Directive is foreseen for the first quarter of 2023.
The annual report on the Directive has shown that this legislation is generally well implemented and that bathing water quality remains high in the EU (see EUROPE 12501/11). But the latest available scientific evidence and best practices show that there is room for improvement in this legislation.
Among the possible points for improvement, the Commission cites: - the target group, currently limited to bathers during the bathing season, thus excluding recreational water users and vulnerable groups; - the level of afforded health protection, taking into account the latest knowledge on pollutants giving rise to new concerns (such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals), as well as the latest scientific evidence and WHO recommendations (viruses, cyanobacteria).
To give feedback (until midnight on 1 April): http://bit.ly/2PLf6x1 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)