MEPs insist on stricter EU bathing water rules

Governments and MEPs look to be heading for a conciliation showdown over the EU's revised bathing waters directive after the European parliament voted this week for standards tighter than environment ministers agreed last year.

In Strasbourg on Tuesday, the parliament backed the council's inclusion of a new minimum water quality standard - "sufficient quality" - to go with existing "excellent" and "good" standards.  The category was introduced as an elegant way of weakening the European Commission's original proposal.

But MEPs said bathing water must meet higher microbiological standards before it can be deemed of sufficient quality, and voted to bring the compliance deadline forward to 2011 - four years earlier than the council suggestion.  They also want the category to be scrapped entirely within eight years after which all waters would have to meet the good quality standard.

Unless the council accepts the changes, the parliament's second reading is likely to spark conciliation talks.  Other amendments with potential to cause friction include demands for much tougher bathing water surveillance and emergency planning systems, and more public information requirements.

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