On 7 May, the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report with recommendations for the upcoming Water Resilience Strategy, which the European Commission plans to present on 4 June. Vewin is positive about the attention to water resilience in Europe and sees valuable elements in the report that, through the resolution, are brought to the Commission’s attention. At the same time, Vewin is disappointed with the Parliament’s weak stance on PFAS.
Positive developments in European water policy
The European Parliament states that cross-border cooperation must be strengthened to jointly tackle water challenges such as increasing droughts and floods. The resolution emphasizes that downstream areas depend on upstream water management. Cooperation within river basins is therefore essential, and Member States should refrain from taking measures that significantly increase flood risks upstream or downstream of other countries in the same river basin. The importance of (cyber)security for water utilities and managers is also acknowledged, with references to the NIS2 and CER directives.
The Parliament further stresses the urgency of achieving the objectives of the Water Framework Directive by 2027 at the latest and calls for an accelerated control at source approach to harmful substances such as pharmaceuticals, bisphenol, and other emerging pollutants. In addition, the Parliament explicitly calls attention to the link between soil and groundwater, for example by referring to the Soil Monitoring Directive, which is still under negotiation.
Disappointing stance on PFAS
Strikingly, PFAS are not included in this accelerated source approach. In the run-up to the vote, Vewin had called for a total ban, in line with the proposal of five Member States, including the Netherlands. Unfortunately, a majority of Parliament supported a text that merely calls for a ban of PFAS in consumer products, while even allowing exceptions for applications in certain sectors. Moreover, the Parliament sets conditions that severely undermine the effectiveness of a ban, such as requiring explicitly proven health damage and allowing use as long as safe alternatives are lacking. This is not in line with the precautionary principle.
The drinking water sector believes that PFAS have no place at all in the environment and drinking water sources. Vewin advocates for a swift and complete ban on PFAS in Europe.