Tag: water

The European Parliament, in agreement with EU member states, has added 12 new substances to the EU priority list of pollutants known to pose a risk to surface water. For the first time, three pharmaceuticals will also be included on a "watch list" of emerging pollutants that could one day be added to the priority list.

Organisers of a European Citizens’ Initiative that seeks to halt sales of public water utilities say they have gathered one million signatures from across Europe, becoming the first such group to do so since the grass-roots efforts were launched last spring.

Europe will not disintegrate and will remain a great power in 2030, but the key question is whether the EU will punch its collective weight in the future, says a recent US intelligence report which draws three possible scenarios for the Union – decline, collapse or renaissance.

The European Commission unveiled its water blueprint on Thursday (15 November), calling for strengthened enforcement of the 12-year-old Water Framework Directive amid fresh reports that many national governments are failing to live up to their commitments.

The European Union's water blueprint, due by the end of the year, will focus on enforcement and implementation of laws already on the books rather than new legislation, says a Cypriot official whose government will host talks later in the year on the evolving water roadmap.

Droughts, poor land use and water access have all contributed to recent volatility in food prices and regional food emergencies. To address such insecurity in food supplies, good water management and governance – as well as reliable early warning systems – are needed, says Jens Berggren, who heads World Water Week that begins on 26 August in Stockholm.

Putting a price on water is essential to encourage savings but EU policymakers are cautious not to spark a social backlash with a one-size-fits-all solution. "Pay more if you use more" is, however, a model which could work, the MEP in charge of water issues told EurActiv.

From pet food manufacturing to wastewater treatment, companies show no lack of imagination when it comes to improving water efficiency at this year's annual Green Week event in Brussels.

Huge water leakage differences between member states make an EU-wide water efficiency target “not necessary”, says an EU official working on the directive for the European Commission.

Austrian MEP Richard Seeber (European Peoples Party) says differences in regional needs and infrastructure make it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach to water efficiency.

Manufacturers have recognised their failure to address concerns over the environmental and health risks of pesticides, promising "a huge change of mindset" in engaging with society while sticking to their traditional argument that their products are safe to use.

Efforts to improve water efficiency and avert scarcity are hampered by illegal wells, lack of metering, and in some cases national opposition to tougher European Union standards, analyses of water allocation in agriculture show.

England’s third dry winter in a row has led British authorities to call for conservation measures, while China’s government has warned that two-thirds of the country’s cities face severe water shortages because of drought and rampant consumption.

Pesticide contamination of European waterways will worsen in the decades ahead - especially in northern countries - researchers warn in a new study that appears to lend support to European Commission proposals for 'greener' agricultural practices.

Europe’s demand for energy, fuels and food are placing a global strain on water and other natural resources that could have particularly devastating consequences for developing nations, warns a report published today (3 November) by a conservation organisation.

The European Commission will consider new measures to decrease water consumption in buildings, agriculture and other areas after a major review of current EU water legislation has been completed by 2012.

The European Water Partnership (EWP), a non-profit organisation, is in the process of testing draft standards for sustainable water management in industrial production processes. Pilots will soon be launched for the agriculture sector and urban areas.

The 2009 EU bathing water quality report shows that some 95.6% of bathing water in coastal areas and 89.4% in rivers and lakes complied with the bloc's minimum quality standards.

"The EU needs to fundamentally modify its approach to its Mediterranean partners," writes Eberhard Rhein, a lecturer at the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies in Malta, in an April post for Blogactiv.

With the UN Millennium Development Goals set to be reviewed this year, the European Commission is stressing the need for an increased focus on access to water, as the achievement of other UN development goals depends on it.

The UK has gone too far in authorising frequent and excessive spillages of untreated waste water and several Spanish cities still fail to properly clean their dirty water, the European Commission said yesterday (8 October), stepping up legal action against the two countries.  

Europe's water industry has urged farmers to record their exact water consumption and opt for more efficient irrigation methods, in a drive to reconcile the bloc's Common Agricultural Policy with its Water Framework Directive and pave the way for a 'new blue deal'.

While the EU's annual report on bathing water quality shows a general improvement throughout the bloc, many member states are still not fully complying with European regulations and hundreds of beaches were forced to close throughout the 2008 bathing season.

With overexploitation of water rife in agriculture, making farmers pay real prices for publicly managed irrigation systems could push them to avoid waste and adopt more sustainable practices, argues the European Environment Agency (EEA).