05/12/24 (Agence Europe) – “It’s about time”, said PAN Europe on Wednesday 4 December, commenting on the European Parliament’s launch of negotiations with the EU Council on revising European standards for protecting groundwater against pollution (see EUROPE 13538/2). But the update to the list of priority pollutants regulated by the Water Framework Directive will come too late, as the European Commission’s proposal, made two years ago, did not respect the legal six-year revision cycle. “All eyes are on the Polish presidency to conclude the trilogue negotiations [before the summer] and on Member States to commit to taking action on PFAS”, said Sara Johansson, from the NGO European Environmental Bureau. The Member States will soon be planning their next river basin management plans for the period 2028-2033. (FS)