EurEau newsletter - edition 21
January 2018
EurEau news
EurEau meetings with stakeholders We met with ETRMA (the European rubber and tyres association) and the Baltic Sea Centre to discuss microplastics pollution, the European SME Agency on ICT4Water and with EUROCITIES on the EU water legislation.
EU news
Drinking Water Directive: Commission publishes proposal
The European Commission published its proposal for the revised Drinking Water Directive (DWD). As expected, the revision covers five key areas: quality parameters, the risk-based approach, construction products in contact with drinking water, information to consumers and access to drinking water for all.
Water Framework Directive: Commission publishes documents
The final version of CIS Guidance Document on WFD Article 4(7) (Exemptions to the Environmental Objectives) is available here.
Microplastics: Commission publishes Plastics Strategy
In mid-January, the Commission published the communication ‘A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’ . The key goal is to reduce plastic waste and improve recyclability. One chapter refers to microplastics. It calls for microplastics monitoring in tap water, a number of control at source measures and hints at the possibility for extended producer responsibility mechanisms.
The European Parliament will prepare an own initiative report on this topic.
Microplastics: Commission moves to ban intentionally added particles
As announced in the Plastics Strategy, the Commission requested the ECHA to prepare a restriction proposal targeting intentionally added plastic particles in products for both professional and consumer use, such as paints and detergents. The restriction would also apply to the use of oxo-degradable plastics.
Communication on EU actions to improve environmental compliance and governance
This Communication presented an Action Plan to increase compliance with EU environmental law and improve environmental governance. Read it here.
Directive on the Reuse of Public Sector Information: Commission plans to extended scope
On 23 January, EurEau and several of our members attended a stakeholder consultation meeting on the revision of the Directive on the Reuse of Public Sector Information.
The Commission will publish its proposal at the end of April 2018. Today, its scope is limited to organisations offering public services and being governed by public law. The revision may lead to the inclusion of all forms of organisational structures, as long as public services are offered.
Pesticides approval: European Parliament to investigate procedures
If approved at next month’s plenary, the European Parliament will set up a special committee to investigate failings and possible conflicts of interest in the EU regulatory process for pesticides. This is a direct consequence of the controversy accompanying the extension of the glyphosate authorisation.
Public consultation – Construction Products
The European Commission launched a public consultation on the functioning and future of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). We will prepare a response before the 16 April 2018 deadline.
Public consultations – EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
With a view to preparing the negotiations on the EU’s next MFF starting in 2021, the Commission has launched a number of consultations including on the EU’s cohesion policy, research and innovation, security and strategic infrastructure. We will prepare responses.
European Court of Justice ruling on challenging environmental decisions
A new ruling of the European Court of Justice concerns the right of NGO’s to challenge certain environmental decisions, for examples permits for water use under Art 4 of the Water Framework Directive and national laws of the Member States. See case c- 664/15 for more.
The ruling means that the role of NGO’s becomes more important in any permit procedures and procedures in drafting programmes of measures and the river basin management plans under Art. 11 and 13 of the WFD. The ruling might strengthen the protection of water resources as exemptions may become more difficult to acquire. Now it is even more important for water service providers to engage in the drafting of plans under Art. 11 and 13 of the WFD.
Critical infrastructures: Workshop on Water Safety and Water Security
This workshop will be hosted by DG HOME in close association with ERNCIP (
European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection) and DG ENV on 8 March in Brussels. The event will focus on:
· Water Safety Plans (DWD) and water quality (WFD), water infrastructures
· Water security-related standardisation in particular cybersecurity
· FP7 and H2020 projects
· Policy to policy panel (Commission, Member States)
· Policy to research & innovation panel
· Interactions with practitioners panel.
The EurEau ExCom appointed Miquel Paraira Faus (Aigues de Barcelona, AEAS, E) as our representative at ERNCIP.
Fertiliser Regulation
The Council of the European Union (national ministers) met and adopted their position for the triologue last December. It is important that all our members contact their ministries in charge to push for the articles we obtained in the European Parliament Report to be maintained in the final text.
At the same time, we developed a common position to make the proposal suitable for the market and encourage recycling of phosphorus with the ESPP and its members. You can find it here.
Urban Agenda 2030 on the Circular Economy
EurEau met with the city of Prato in Italy and a representative of the Agency for Waste Management for the city of Olso. They are coordinating the working group on Circular Economy for the Urban Agenda 2030. We discussed the possibility of including recommendations related to resource recovery in the water sector to contribute to the achievement of the circular economy objectives under the urban agenda. This discussion will continue to find a suitable way for EurEau to contribute.
Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Commission prepares strategy
The Commission will publish its long-awaited strategic approach to tackling pharmaceuticals in the environment in May 2018. The strategy will not formally announce new legislation but rather hint at what the next Commission might decide to do.
At the targeted stakeholder consultation meeting of 13 January, EurEau promoted a holistic approach focussing on source control measures and implementing the principle of extended producer responsibility. Those principles also received a good attention at an event in the European Parliament on pharmaceuticals in the environment and antimicrobial resistance hosted by MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik on 30 January.
Background paper to the Commission public consultation here.
EurEau’s response to the public consultation.
News from our members
Water UK launched a campaign to help fight plastic waste. Water companies will join forces with the Refill campaign to create a national network of high street retailers, coffee shops, businesses and local authorities offering new refill stations for the public to top-up their water bottles for free in every major city and town in England by 2021. Read more…
Our Swedish member Svenskt Vatten worked with H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) to print anon-flushability label several of its products (e.g. cotton buds, wet wipes etc).
Other events20-21 February – Dr Claudia Castel-Exner will speak at the joint European Commission/OECD workshop on ‘Pathways to policy change on water in agriculture’
18-23 March - World Water Forum (Brasilia)
11-12 June– third Third European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Helsinki. Deadline for proposing presentations on sustainable phosphorus policy or management actions, or of business or action success stories, for ESPC3 is 28th February. More information is here
26-31 August - World Water Week on the theme ‘Water, ecosystems and human development’
16-21 September - IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2018, Tokyo
You can see a list of events happening around Europe here.
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You can keep up with all the EurEau news via our website, our blog on the EU and on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter feeds. For more events, visit our calendar.