Lakes, rivers, rivers, sources … Surface waters in Europe are in a “critical” health state, warns this Tuesday, February 4, A European Commission report. “Only 39.5 % of EU surface water masses are in good ecological condition and 26.8 % in good chemical condition” in 2021 against 33.5 % in 2015. Pollution “mainly due to a large Mercury contamination and other toxic pollutants, “said the Commission.
The report also stresses that member states will not manage to achieve European objectives on water quality in 2027. France is among the bad students. In France, “31 % of groundwater masses are polluted by pesticides and nitrates,” said the report.
In July, the European Commission had initiated a procedure against France before the Court of Justice of the European Union for non-compliance with the drinking water directive, due to too high concentrations of nitrates.
“Strategy on water resilience”
In charge of the environment, the European Commissioner Jessika Roswall must reveal in the coming months a “strategy on water resilience”. While calling for being more innovative for the environment in funding, the commissioner also promises, at the end of the year, a proposal to revise the law which frames chemical substances in Europe (Reach) and better fight against PFAS, These almost indestructible synthetic “eternal pollutants” which contaminate waters.
Among the measures proposed, the EU evokes the still embryonic track of “nature credits”, which could be obtained and reinvesting farmers or virtuous forest owners in ecological matters. The track of a ban on PFAS in everyday consumer products “such as pizza boxes or waterproof clothes” is also envisaged, the Swedish commissioner explained to some journalists.