Green Groups Warn of Potential Weakening of EU Water Quality Rules

Environmental campaigners are warning about a possible weakening of EU water quality rules as the 2027 deadline for meeting strict pollution limits approaches. Most EU countries are set to miss this deadline, and green groups fear that updates to the pollutant watch-list are being used to relax the bloc’s water quality regulations. The European Commission proposed an update in October 2022 to address concerns over harmful chemicals, but Belgium, supported by Spain and other countries, suggests extending the compliance deadline for new substances to 2039 and relaxing some rules.
Belgium’s proposal, influenced by a joint statement from the Netherlands and other nations, argues that the rule on non-deterioration of water quality is not clearly defined, leading to stringent court rulings. The EU Court of Justice ruled in 2022 that even temporary adverse impacts on water quality are illegal. Belgium proposes that a change in ecological quality status from ‘high’ to ‘good’ should not count as deterioration.
Green groups, including WWF and the European Environmental Bureau, are alarmed, arguing that weakening these rules will harm drinking and bathing waters and exacerbate clean water shortages and biodiversity loss. They emphasize the urgency of addressing this pollution crisis rather than delaying action. The European Environment Agency reported in 2018 that only a third of EU waters met ‘good’ ecological and chemical status, with a follow-up report pending. The European Parliament seeks to strengthen citizens’ rights to challenge decisions affecting water quality, but final negotiations on the watch list await the EU Council’s position.