Brussels, 19/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Commission's decision to pursue infringement proceedings against Finland and Denmark for their ongoing failure to comply with Directive 76/160/EEC on the quality of bathing waters (see EUROPE of 15 April, page 16) reflects its determination to ensure that all Member States comply with Union standards in this area, in the interest of the environment and public health. The reasons justifying the sending of a reasoned opinion (second stage of the procedure under Article 226 of the Treaty) to both countries are identical. The Commission accuses them of:
1) Failing to improve during the 1999 bathing season the unsatisfactory results of the previous season (in 1998, the rates of conformity of Finland's coastal waters with the quality criteria imposed by the directive were 84% for mandatory values and only 69.1% for guide values; for fresh waters, the rates were 83.2% for mandatory values and 77.3% for guide values. The rates of conformity for Danish coastal waters were 94.3% for mandatory values and 85.6% for guide values; for fresh waters, 90.3% for mandatory values and 77.9% for guide values).
2) Failing to take sufficient samples as required by Article 6 of the directive to ensure regular monitoring of the quality of waters throughout their territory.
In a press release, the Commission recalls that Council Directive 76/160/EEC is essential for public health. It fixes the values to be respected for a series of parameters such as bacteria, for example. In addition to the binding values with which Member States must comply, the directive recommends respect of indicative values in order to achieve excellence.
The last annual report on the quality of bathing water in the Union (established by the Commission on the basis of the individual reports that Member States forward to it) bore witness to the remarkable progress made for inland bathing waters (by far the most polluted) but a situation of status quo for coastal water, mainly concerning guide values. The report is accessible on the Internet at: http: //europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/tourist.html.