While this is slightly less than during the 2008 season, when the respective figures were 96.3% and 92%, the Commission stressed that the overall quality of bathing water in the EU had "markedly improved" since 1990.
In 1990, only 80% of the coastal sites and 52% of the inland waters monitored met the minimum quality requirements, the EU executive said.
Of the more than 20,000 bathing areas monitored throughout the EU in 2009, two-thirds were on the coast and the rest in rivers and lakes. The largest number of coastal bathing waters can be found in Italy, Greece, France, Spain and Denmark, while Germany and France have the highest number of inland bathing waters.
Greek, Cypriot waters get the best grade
This year's EU Bathing Water Report shows that the percentage of bathing water that met the EU's minimum requirements during the 2009 bathing season was highest in Greece (99.8%), Cyprus (99.1%), France (95.7%) Malta (93.1%), Bulgaria (90.3%) and Portugal (90%).
More than 80% of bathing water in Finland (88.5%), Spain (84%), Italy (83.5%), Ireland (82.4%), Germany (81.2%) and Sweden (80.6%) also met the minimum standards.
The highest number sites that did not complying with the minimum requirements were found in France, Denmark and Italy.
Stricter standards, real-time data in sight
The 1976 Bathing Water Directive sets out a number of physical, chemical and microbiological parameters against which the quality of bathing water is tested. Member states must comply with the mandatory values, but may adopt stricter standards and non-binding guidance values.
The new Bathing Water Directive (2006) requires the EU 27 to comply with even stricter and more ambitious requirements by 2016. It calls for more effective monitoring and management of bathing water, greater public participation and improved information dissemination.
While the current system of yearly reports allows for the study of water quality trends in bathing areas, the new directive will oblige member states to provide real-time information by 2012.
