water policy

EU Council follows Commission’s line, trims Baltic fishing quota

EU ministers have clinched a midnight deal on fishing quota limit in the Baltic Sea for 2020, following the Commission's proposal to decrease the total allowable catches for eight of the most commercially important fish stocks in the basin.

Circling round

The European Commission should impose more stringent measures on producers to protect the environment and consumers. Making producers responsible for their products throughout their whole life cycle benefits us all, writes Oliver Loebel.

WHO says microplastics in water not a health risk, more research needed

Plastic pollutant nanoparticles in both tap and bottled water do not pose an apparent health hazard, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report. However, the UN body acknowledges more research and evidence is needed.

Why the ocean should be on the G7 agenda

Surfrider Europe, a French organisation fighting for clean oceans,  is organising an event ahead of the G7 summit in France. The aim is to call for incorporating ocean protection into international negotiations, particularly those concerning climate change. EURACTIV's partner la Tribune reports.

Bad water management makes drought worse, study finds

As Europe is facing a new heatwave this week, drought emergency measures will be back on the table. According to a study EU member states do a lot to worsen the impacts of drought.

Infographic: EU support for water resilience in Central Asia

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Central Asia is facing increasingly severe environmental challenges. The EU is offering help to the region to turn those challenges into opportunities. Enhancing environmental, climate and water resilience is a substantial element of the new EU strategy for Central Asia.

Timmermans: A green candidate in the red corner

Frans Timmermans, the Socialists’ leading candidate, has promised a sustainable Europe if he is given the nod to lead the next European Commission. But how sustainable are the Dutchman’s green credentials?

EU clean water laws under attack from industry lobbyists

Industry lobbies are mounting a push to roll back EU clean water regulations, even though less than half of the continent’s rivers, wetlands and lakes are in a healthy state. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

Groundwater: Nitrate pollution will continue to be an issue across generations

For years, the EU Commission has warned Germany about illegally high levels of nitrate in groundwater. The European Court of Justice even ruled on the issue in June. Now, the German government is working on a new Fertiliser Regulation. However, the groundwater is expected to remain contaminated for many more years. EURACTIV Germany reports.

No water, no agriculture

The state of Europe’s water ecosystems puts a big question mark over the future availability of freshwater, for people and for all manner of industry, not least for food production and agriculture, writes Jabier Ruiz.

EU should be ambitious on materials in contact with drinking water

All EU citizens have the right to high-quality drinking water, write representatives from drinking water suppliers, consumer NGO and industrial manufacturers of materials in contact with drinking water. Stephen Russell is secretary-general of the European Consumers Association (ANEC), Dr Claudia...

The Sustainable Blue Economy: EU’s actions must match its words

As global leaders met at the world’s first Sustainable Blue Economy conference this week, the EU must face the sobering reality of the state of our ocean and stand by its commitments to sustainably protect and effectively manage Europe’s seas before it’s too late, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

Healthy rivers and lakes are not ‘nice-to-haves’, they are essential to our existence

Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are our life support system, but EU member states are trying to destroy the law that protects them and the window to save them is closing, warns Andreas Baumüller.

60% of living species declined due to human activity, warns WWF

The ways in which humans feed, fuel and finance modern societies is pushing the planet’s natural systems to the brink, threatening the very foundation on which the world economy is based, according to the WWF’s Living Planet Report 2018, published on Tuesday (30 October).

A watertight CAP

The European Commission needs to deliver an agricultural policy that does not reward agricultural pollution, write Claudia Castell-Exner and Arjen Frentz from Europe's drinking water and wastewater service operators (EurEau).

MEPs must keep water bills from increasing

MEPs must ensure that drinking water remains affordable while protecting public health at the same time, writes Claudia Castell-Exner.

Time to banish wet wipes from our sewers

Plastics in our sewer system costs consumers money and the European water sector has its daily challenges, one of them being sewers getting clogged regularly by plastics and wet wipes, explain Oliver Loebel and Maxime Bineau.

Mercury in the water: 40% of Europe’s lakes and rivers contaminated

40% of the EU’s surface water bodies are contaminated with levels of mercury, endangering birds and marine mammals. An article by our partner, the Journal de l’Environnement.

Drinking water rules cleaned up by MEPs

Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Monday (10 September) to update drinking water rules to remove pollutants from what comes out of our taps. But they have also been criticised for striking a blow against transparency.

Time for EU member states to protect lakes and rivers

The latest science shows that Europe’s freshwater bodies are in a dreadful ecological state. Governments must finally take responsibility and undertake serious efforts to comply with EU legislation, urges Andreas Baumüller.

Paris meeting offers opportunity for leadership on high-seas agreement

The high seas make up nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean, but less than 1 percent is currently protected. All this could change this September, when governments come together at the United Nations for an intergovernmental conference to negotiate a new treaty that would create a mechanism for protecting these ocean areas, writes Liz Karan.

Heavy workload delays EU report on environmental impact of drugs

The European Commission’s much-awaited communication on the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals is at an “advanced stage” but might not be adopted in the near future because of other legislative initiatives on the agenda, an EU official has told EURACTIV.com.

Time to invest in Europe’s water infrastructure

Europe’s water infrastructure is ageing in all EU member states. The European Commission is at a pivotal moment and should decide to invest during the next MFF (2021-2027) to reap the health and environmental benefits, and to save money in the long term, writes Klara Ramm.