The Department of Environment informs all interested organisations of the following:
The European Commission on 26 October 2022 proposed stricter rules for air, surface and groundwater pollutants and urban waste water treatment.
Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Commissioner Virginius Sinkiewicz said: "The quality of the air we breathe and the water we use is fundamental to our lives and the future of our societies. Pollutants in our air and water harm our health, our economy and our environment, affecting especially the vulnerable. It is therefore our duty to clean up our air and water for our own and future generations. The cost of inaction is much higher than the cost of prevention. That is why the Commission is now acting to ensure coordinated action across the Union to better tackle pollution at its source - at local and cross-border level."
The EU has adopted a package of measures consisting of three legislative proposals that form part of the revision of the Zero Pollution Action Plan and represent important progress towards the ambition of the European Green Deal for Zero Pollution, which aims for an environment free of harmful pollutants by 2050: The proposal will also provide greater clarity on access to justice, effective sanctions and better public information on air quality. The new legislation will support local authorities by strengthening provisions for air quality monitoring, modelling and improved air quality plans.
2) Revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Legislation
The revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will help Europeans benefit from cleaner rivers, lakes, groundwater and seas, while making wastewater treatment more cost-effective. Water treatment obligations will be extended to smaller municipalities and will include obligations to recover nutrients from wastewater, new standards for microbiota and new monitoring requirements for microplastics. To facilitate the management of heavy rainfall, which is becoming more frequent due to climate change, integrated water management plans are needed in larger cities. To make the best use of wastewater as a resource, it is proposed to pursue energy neutrality in the sector and to improve the quality of sludge to allow for greater reuse, with a positive contribution to a more circular economy.
3) Protecting surface water and groundwater from new pollutants
Based on updated scientific evidence, the Commission proposes to update the lists of water pollutants to be more stringently controlled in surface water and groundwater. It also includes improvements to monitoring, reporting and easier future updates of the list to keep up with science.
These proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure. Once adopted, they will be phased in, with different targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050 - giving industry and authorities time to adapt and invest where necessary.
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