EU bathing water quality fell slightly in 2007

2554, 02/06/08

The number of EU bathing sites that met mandatory hygiene standards fell slightly in the 2007 season, according to figures published by the European commission on Monday.  Environment commissioner Stavros Dimas insisted that overall EU bathing water quality "remained high" and said the slight downward trend could be the result of a sharp fall in the number of sites declassified by member states last year.

Over 21,000 bathing areas were tested in 2007 - roughly two-thirds of which were coastal waters and the remaining third inland freshwater areas.  Just over 95 per cent of coastal areas tested met the mandatory EU standards - a fall of nearly one percentage point compared with 2006 (EED 31/05/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23301).  Water quality at inland sites remained stable, with just under 89 per cent complying with the limits set in the 1976 bathing water directive.

Mr Dimas said he was "encouraged" by a 44 per cent drop from 2006 in the number of bathing areas removed by member states from their national lists. This practice, known as "de-listing", is often done in order to avoid addressing pollution at source, he added, and could explain the fall in apparent EU bathing water quality last year  (EED 08/03/06 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/20544).

Follow-up: European commission http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm: tel: +32 2 299 1111, plus press release

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/834 and summary report

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/report2008/en_summary.pdf.

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