Strasbourg, 13/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - After more than eighteen months of to-ing and fro-ing between the European Parliament and the EU Council, the new European directive protecting groundwater from pollution has been formally adopted.
On 12 December, it was adopted in third reading by the Parliament, which endorsed the joint text from the Parliament-Council conciliation. Parliament obtained the setting of value limits which will allow the chemical state of groundwater in the EU to be determined, and also the strengthening of measures taken, by Member States to prevent the disposal of dangerous substances to better maintain the water table, which is the main source of drinking water, supplying over 65% of the water drunk in Europe. The EU Council confirmed its agreement on 11 November, without debate. (an)