How to protect and manage Europe’s water?

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is now in its implementation phase. To deliver the expected results for 2015, the most worrying substances must be targeted and banned in the quickest way possible. The aim is to identify which chemicals should be registered at the EU level in order to define the necessary concrete actions. It is crucial that focus is placed on these priority substances in order to ensure success.

The European chemical industry is committed to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). We believe that its requirements and risk assessment-based procedures will contribute to improving Europe’s water quality to benefit all European citizens. The Directive covers surface, ground and coastal waters, focusing on the quality, quantity and pricing of the EU’s water supplies over the next 15 years.

EU stakeholders have now begun the second phase, switching to implementation, going beyond the initial process of drafting guidelines and methodologies, to focus on the exchange of best practice and experience.

Cefic position on water quality management

The Directive has established a co-ordinated framework for water protection and management. The establishment of strict limits for 33 substances ranked as priority substances (Environmental Quality Standards, EQS) should be done through transparent selection processes, which continue to follow a risk-based approach.

Some of these substances, known as Priority Hazardous Substances (PHS), will be more strictly managed than others. This   will lead to discharges, emissions or losses of them ceasing by 2025. This is a challenge for many stakeholders, including the diverse range of water users and regulators. The chemical industry must use its experience to set appropriate standards and take into account updated information and technology. Member States, for example, still face challenges and must set quality standards for river basin specific pollutants.

Cefic contribution to the drafting of water guidelines

This Directive is a living exercise. The PHS list is to be reviewed at least every four years. Cefic is acting to contribute to the Working Groups leading this work. Cefic is, for example, a member of an electronic forum designed to exchange the most recent scientific information on the water issue. 
Cefic has also contributed to the creation of guidelines for the mixing zones in the vicinity of point source discharges in those parts of the water body where EQSD cannot be met, due to the high levels of pollutants in the effluents.

Next steps

Like the other stakeholders, Cefic is following a common methodology aimed at targeting the most appropriate substances to be banned in the quickest way possible. It is actively participating in the Working Groups in charge of the common implementation strategy. It is, moreover, contributing to the impact assessment accompanying the proposal for new PHS and for revising existing PHS. This process began in 2010.