The EU Commission published last week the evaluation report of the entire Bathing Water Directive, from its entry into force in 2006 until the end of the 2023 bathing season.
The Bathing Water Directive contributes to the overall goal of promoting a clean and healthy environment for all and the evaluation was carried in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
The evaluation concluded that:
– The Bathing Water Directive has been effective in protecting bathers in the EU.
– In 2023, 85% of bathing water sites at sea and on land were rated ‘excellent’.
– 96% of the bathing water sites met the minimum water quality standards.
However, there is scope for enhancing the actual level of both health and environmental protection in better alignment with the EU’s One Health and Clean Competitiveness ambitions while reducing administrative burdens by enhancing coherence with the Water Framework Directive.
This evaluation report comes as well with the announcement of the Dashboard of zero pollution performance across regions and cities, which presents bathing water quality and the progress made in each region, based on the existing legal requirements.
You can find the full report here and an executive summary here.
