The Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom presented the annual report on bathing water quality for 2002…
The Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom presented the annual report on bathing water quality for 2002. The report confirms the results seen in previous years with a high percentage of bathing sites being in compliance with the compulsory standards in the directive (the compliance rate for coastal sites being 95.8% – and for freshwater sites 91.1%.) The encouraging results for 2002 were achieved despite the standardsand floods, which occurred in central Europe in August and September 2002. One worrying aspect of the 2002 results was the tendency of some Member States to ban bathing at sites which showed poor compliance or to de-identify such sites rather than addressing the causes of pollution leading to poor bathing water quality.
Speaking at the press conference to launch the report on the 2002 bathing season, Commissioner Wallstrom said: The impact of water quality on bathers is a clear demonstration of the linkages between environmental quality and human health. The susceptibility of children to gastric infections and respiratory illnesses associated with swimming in polluted waters underlined why we need to maintain our vigilance.
She said she had four priorities in relation to bathing water:
- to get the revised directive, proposed by the Commission in October 2002, adopted as soon as possible;
- to ensure that the current directive was implemented as effectively as possible;
- to try and support those Member States affected by last years floods to carry out the remedial measures to get their water quality back to acceptable standards and
- to make sure that Member States did not use bathing bans or de-identification of bathing sites as a device to get round the directive. The 1976 Bathing Water Directive played a crucial role in improving the quality) of bathing waters in Europe. The latest Bathing Water report presented today covers 13,627 seaside beaches and 5773 fresh water areas. In 2002, almost 96% of the coastal beaches respected the Directive`s quality criteria, in particular those dealing with contamination by fecal material! For inland bathing areas (i.e. lakes and rivers), the level of compliance was 91% in 2002. This shows that the difference in quality between coastal and freshwater beaches remains marked, although the gap is gradually closing year-by-year.
The linkage between human health and the environment is a priority issue for Commissioner Wallstrom. In the case of bathing water this linkage could not be clearer. Bacterial contamination resulting from inadequate treatment of waste waters or animal wastes entering directly into the water, can give rise to gastro-enteritis or even respiratory illnesses in persons bathing in contaminated waters.
While these illnesses are rarely severe and almost never life threatening, the number of persons exposed to these potential risks is enormous and the impact on families during the holiday season can be significant. Implementation of EU legislation, and in particular water legislation, is a key priority for the Commission. This yearly report allows the Commission to follow closely Member States in the implementation of this key water Directive. Member States` efforts for improvement should produce effective and long-term results.
Overview of the results for individual Member States:
Austria
BW quality continues to progress. Even though weather conditions have been bad, over 96% of the fresh waters are compliant to imperative standards. The monitoring frequency is perfectly respected and there are no banned bathing sites. This is a sign of good bathing water management.
Belgium
Coastal water compliance dropped from 100% to 94.9% and fresh water quality went up from 90% to 94.3%. This reverses the tendency both in coastal and fresh water quality.
Denmark
Denmark shows highly improved fresh water quality (from 90.4% compliance in 2001 up to 97.3% in 2002) and slightly lower coastal water quality (down to 93.3%).
Germany
Bathing water quality has slightly decreased in 2002, with respect to both sea- and fresh water. Still, seawater quality remains very high (conformity rate of 97.3% to imperative standards). In 2002, 1.1% of the fresh waters were insufficiently sampled and at 1.9% of the fresh water bathing sites, bathing was banned.
Spain
Spain`s coastal bathing waters remain of very high quality (with 98.3% compliance with the imperative standard), but fresh water quality remains low (85.1% compliance with the imperative standard). Compared to 2001, bathing was banned at nearly 8% of inland bathing sites. In addition, 14 beaches were declissified as bathing sites, The number of fresh water sites is going down year after year. Furthermore, Spain is the only country having un-sampled bathing waters. (That is, sites where no water samples are taken)
Finland
Finland`s coastal water `s quality compliance to the Directive improved by 10% (up to 98.3 % in 2002) as compared to 2001 Fresh water quality is very high (97% compliance to Imperative standards), but 1.6% of the fresh water sites are still insufficiently sampled.
France
Due to industrial action, France did not submit data for the 1999 and 2000 bathing seasons. Last year data were transmitted but only for the 2001 bathing season. Subsequently, the Commission has received all the missing data for 1999 and 2000 and the French data are now complete.
Even though there has been an improvement as compared to 2001,, compliance ratios remain low (87.5% for coastal waters and 89.6% for fresh waters). These figures are in the low range of all EU countries. Also, the ratio of insufficiently sampled bathing waters remains very high (9% for coastal waters and 5.1% for fresh waters).
Ireland
Ireland has, as last year, excellent bathing water quality, with compliance rates of 97.5% for coastal water and 100% for fresh waters. In the 2002 season, all fresh waters were also in conformity with the Guide standard. In this respect one can only regret that Ireland has only 9 fresh water bathing sites.
Italy
Italy has a constantly high coastal water quality (96.1% compliance), but experienced a significant drop in fresh water quality, with the compliance rate on imperative values going down from 93.6% in 2001 to 76.1% in 2002. According to the authorities this was due to exceptional weather conditions. At 14.8% of the fresh water bathing sites bathing was banned in 2002 (only 1.6% of bathing waters were banned in 2001).
Luxembourg
Of all EU countries, Luxembourg certainly has the most stable compliance rates. Since 1994, 85% of all fresh waters are in conformity to the imperative standard.At 15% of Luxembourg`s designated bathing waters, bathing is banned.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands considerably improved coastal and fresh water compliance with the imperative standard. With a 100% compliance rate, the Netherlands display EU`s best coastal water bathing water quality. Also sampling rates for all waters are fully compliant with the directive.
Portugal
Portugal`s coastal bathing water quality is very high (98.7% compliance) As compared to the 2001 bathing season, freshwater quality improved significantly going from 84.2% compliance to 97.6%.
Sweden
Sweden shows an even higher conformity rate with the imperative standard than in the previous season, particularly for fresh waters (96.3 % for coastal waters and 99.7% for fresh waters).
A clear effort has been made in order to respect the sampling rate indicated by the Directive. Nearly all coastal waters and all fresh water sites were sufficiently sampled.
United Kingdom
In 2002, UK coastal bathing water sites achieved a compliance rate of 97.8%. Fresh water quality compliance was already 100% in 2001, and remained the same in 2002. However, there are only 11 fresh water bathing sites in the UK.
Greece
Nearly 100% of all coastal bathing water sites comply with the directive. For fresh waters, this figure is a full 100%. However, the country apparently only has 4 fresh water bathing sites.
The Revision of the Bathing water Quality Directive
In October 2002, the Commission presented a Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the quality of bathing water (1)
The new proposal is intended to deliver three clear benefits:
- improved health standards,
- more efficient management including the active involvement of the public
- allowing Member States greater flexibility in the way they implement the Directive.
In terms of a better health standard compared with the current Directive, the proposed standards reduce by a factor of two to three the risk of contracting gastro-enteritis and respiratory diseases as a result of bathing.
Concerning management, the proposed Directive foresees that an assessment should be made at each bathing site of the likely sources of contamination and a management plan drawn up in order to minimise the risks to bathers. The management measures to be carried out depend highly of the status, of the bathing water quality and of the risk factors present at the bathing site.
The number of parameters to be monitored will be reduced and also the monitoring frequency will be drastically set down if bathing water is of good quality for a sufficiently long time span.
Bathing Water internet site
The Commission`s Bathing Water Internet site has been updated. The site provides the results from 1997 till 2002 for all 19,000 EU beaches. Diagrams provide a picture of the long-term quality trend of the bathing areas. The Commission hopes that these further improvements will contribute to a more direct communication with citizens and the national and regional regulators.
Member States contribute to the Bathing Water report and web site by specifying which actions have been taken both in the field of urban wastewater treatment as well a s in mastering the effects of diffuse pollution.
Background
The 1976/160/EEC Directive on Bathing Water Quality is the basis on which the European Commission assesses the quality of Bathing Water in Member States. The assessment is made on the basis of two microbiological parameters, which are indicators of faecal pollution, and on the basis of three physico-chemical parameters, which are so-called aesthetic parameters i.e. does the water look attractive to take a swim in. Member States must respect these minimum imperative values that ensure good water quality. In addition, the Directive establishes some higher guideline values, which Member States should endeavour to respect.
As a basic rule sampling should be made every fortnight, plus one additional sample 14 days before the start of the locally defined bathing season. The frequency can be reduced if the bathing water has shown good quality during the previous two years.
The Directive does not set a common EU bathing season. The bathing season is defined as the period during which large numbers of bathers are expected in the light of local custom.
(1) COM(2000)581 Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the quality of bathing water
(2) Directive 76/160/EEC on the quality of bathing water
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