Brussels, 04/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - It is the opinion of Vasso Papandreou, who presided the Environment Council on Tuesday in Brussels, that the public debate held by EU ministers on the proposal aimed at amending the 1976 Bathing Water Directive allowed useful guidelines to be set in place for continuing work.
On the basis of a questionnaire from the Greek Presidency, ministers took a stance on the relevance of the two bacteriological criteria adopted (intestinal cocci and escherichia coli) to meet the requirement of increased health protection of bathers, and on the ability of the proposal to facilitate implementation of the directive by Member States through increased flexibility. They also took a stance on how appropriate it was to include leisure activities other than bathing in the directive, as proposed by the Commission. The following results were reached.
A very large majority of delegations welcomed the Commission's initiative, gratifying it with support for stricter health standards, with bathers' health being recognised as a priority concern. The debate on method remains open, however, several delegations having insisted on the proportionality of measures in the interest of a good cost/health benefit ratio (to the fore, the United Kingdom believed that risk management through bather advisory services would be a better response than 100% conformity to standards). All ministers stressed the importance of public information, the need to clarify the definition of "bathing areas" (for example, by a specific number of bathers, as suggested by Sweden) and the need to establish a distinguo between exceptional circumstances (especially meteorological) at the origin of sporadic pollution which lowers water quality, and the chronic problems caused by insufficient water quality.
On the other hand, delegations are divided over taking recreational pursuits other than swimming into account (such as windsurfing or kayak) when putting water into quality categories. On this point, a majority current (Germany, Belgium, Finland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, France, Sweden and Austria) is against extending the directive to these pursuits, but would be willing to have another legislative text that establishes quality criteria to be met so that water is without danger for lovers of nautical sports off the coast. France has even suggested that an article of the directive should refer to a Commission study on the risk of exposure by those practising nautical sports to health risks due to poor water quality, and to investment to be provided in order to fight against sources of pollution with a view to proposing an eventual daughter directive one year after the results of the study have come out - a suggestion to which Margot Wallström, Environment Commissioner, is open.
During the debate, division appeared between the delegations that are fully satisfied with the bacteriological criteria and the frequency of sampling proposed by the Commission (the northern countries, and to a lesser extent Spain which nonetheless calls for minimum compulsory sampling) and the southern delegations (France, Italy, Portugal), which wish to improve the health guarantees for swimmers still further. Italy stressed the need to take more into account the risk of chemical contamination and the risks arising from toxic bacteria, and mainly proposed adding an ecotoxicity parameter linked to phytoplancton. Like Germany, France expressed reservation regarding the method for calculating water quality. It therefore called on the Commission for scientific date to cast light on the matter and an expert debate on the method of calculation, as well as an epidemiological study over three years after the directive takes effect, failing which, it says, it will be necessary to return to the current health requirements. It also proposed adding to the three categories of water quality (excellent, good, poor), the category "average" which will make it possible to distinguish occasional pollution from chronic quality problems, and called for abolition of the derogatory system that allows a mediocre quality of water to be considered acceptable under coverage of announced decontamination investment. Portugal, which doubts the propensity of microbiological parameters to allow any significant improvement in water quality, called for more detailed epidemiological studies and controls that are as stringent as possible.
Speaking on behalf of the Commission, Margot Wallström welcomed the broad support received by her proposal and recalled that this is based on "sound scientific bases" as it follows WHO guidelines, which coincide with the results of German and French scientific studies. She reminded Member States which, like the United Kingdom, invoked the cost/benefit ratio when calling for greater flexibility, that bathers will not be satisfied with a signpost saying "today the water is good". In her view, the principle of subsidiarity underpins any new proposal of directive as it is up to Member States to define the status of bathing water.