European bathing water quality down slightly

Environment Daily 1886, 26/05/05

The quality of EU bathing waters declined slightly in 2004, figures from the European Commission show.  Last year's accession of ten new member states is the main reason for the fall.  The results will also allow the Commission to calculate the amount of a fine imposed on Spain in 2003.

Mandatory water quality standards were met at 96.7% of coastal bathing water sites, compared with 96.8% in 2003.  But compliance fell significantly at freshwater bathing sites from 92.3% in 2003 to 89.4%, the lowest level since 1999.  The number meeting of sites meeting more stringent guide values fell in both categories.

EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas put the main blame for lower freshwater bathing water quality on the new member states, but said that compliance in the old EU-15 countries had also fallen.  Four of the ten new members failed to provide bathing water quality reports but will not face legal action, he added.

With publication of the results it is now clear that Spain wil have to pay €3.3m to EU coffers because 5.3% of its inland bathing sites failed mandatory standards in 2004.  Earlier persistent compliance failures prompted repeat legal action by the European Commission.  The European court of justice decided in 2003 that Madrid should pay €624,150 for each percentage point of non-compliance.

The fine will run from the 2004 bathing season until all freshwater bathing sites meet the mandatory quality standards.  But the Commission is now querying the Spanish authorities' decision to declassify 40% of bathing waters since 1996.  Officials suspect Spain is delisting the sites to artificially boost its compliance rate.

European governments and MEPs are currently engaged in talks on a sweeping revision of the 1976 bathing waters law;  new tighter standards being are likely to enter force between 2011 and 2015. 

Follow-up:

European Commission http://europa.eu.int/comm, 

bathing water pages http://europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/index_en.html,

press release http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/614,

the report http://europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/report.html.