Brussels, 25 May 1999The European Commission today presented the 16th report on bathing water in Europe. The report covers 13,218 seaside beaches and 6,004 fresh water areas. Almost 95% of the coastal bathing areas comply with the minimum quality requirements. This is a marginal improvement compared with the results of the previous report. Fresh water bathing areas show some encouraging results for the second consecutive year. While for the 1996 bathing season one out of three fresh water zones was insufficiently monitored or did not meet the minimum quality requirements, almost 80% of the fresh water bathing areas complied with the minimum requirements of the Directive during the 1997 bathing season. During the 1998 bathing season more than 85% met the minimum requirements.
At a press conference held on the launch of this report, the Commissioner for the Environment Ritt Bjerregaard said: "My repeated plea for more attention to the vulnerable fresh water bathing areas start to show consistently encouraging results. While during the 1996 bathing season one out of three fresh water zones did not respect the minimum quality requirements. Now two seasons later, more than 86% of the fresh water bathing areas respect the minimum requirements of the Directive."
Coastal bathing areas
On average, the mandatory quality of coastal bathing areas is only improving marginally. It seems as though they have reached their maximum achievable compliance rate: almost 95% of the coastal bathing areas in the European Union (EU) meet the minimum quality requirements. If that is really the case for the minimum requirements, one would expect that Member States would now do their utmost to also meet the more stringent guide values. Only about 84% have reached these high quality standards.
The weather conditions for certain regions in the EU during the 1998 bathing season, with periods of heavy rainfall, were not always favourable for achieving good results. This is reflected in some of the individual results, but overall the results are encouraging.
Belgium, which for the first time achieved 100% compliance with the minimum requirements in 1997 has seen a considerable drop in compliance to almost 93%.
Denmark's rate of compliance has dropped for the second consecutive year and stands at just over 94% compliance with the minimum requirements.
The coastal bathing areas of Germany, France and the Netherlands have now all been sufficiently sampled. For Germany this shows a status quo compared with last year. France and the Netherlands have recorded considerably better results and thus confirm the efforts that have been made by their water managers.
Greece, Spain, Ireland and Italy have achieved results similar to or marginally better than for the 1997 bathing season.
Portugal's constant improvement seems to have stopped, and its level of compliance remains below 90%.
Finland and Sweden seem to have achieved correct practical implementation of the Directive, but are both still below 90% compliance.
The United Kingdom has only made a marginal improvement but is also still below 90% compliance.
Fresh water bathing areas
Repeated pleas by Commissioner Bjerregaard in previous years for more attention to be paid to vulnerable fresh water bathing areas are starting to show consistently encouraging results. While, during the 1996 bathing season, one out of three fresh water zones was insufficiently monitored or did not meet the minimum quality requirements, now two seasons later, more than 86% of the fresh water bathing areas meet the minimum requirements of the Directive. The percentage of insufficiently sampled fresh water beaches fell again, to 5,5%. This still represents a very high number and the Commission hopes that the next season will finally show that all fresh water bathing areas will be sufficiently sampled.
As for coastal waters, the weather conditions for certain regions in the EU during the 1998 bathing season, with periods of heavy rainfall, were not always favourable for achieving good results. This is reflected in some of the individual results, but overall results are, again, encouraging.
Looking at the individual Member States, it can be said that:
Belgium has confirmed the substantial improvements made in 1997 by increasing the compliance rate to over 96%;
Denmark has achieved only a marginal improvement with just over 90% compliance with the minimum requirements.
Germany in particular seem to have suffered from the bad weather and has suffered a slight setback compared with 1997.
Greece on the contrary has achieved a remarkable improvement, and its four inland bathing zones are now all complying with the minimum requirements.
Spain shows a marginal improvement, but 25% of its freshwater zones still do not meet the minimum requirements.
France has improved on all fronts: compliance with the minimum requirements stands at over 90%, and there has been a considerable reduction in the number of insufficiently sampled zones. However, the number of zones meeting the stricter guide values is still rather disappointing.
Ireland has again achieved 100% compliance for its nine inland bathing areas.
Italy has suffered a slight setback for the first time in many years.
Luxembourg shows no improvement and remains at 85% compliance.
The Netherlands has improved the sampling arrangements and its compliance rate, as for its coastal waters, but still has too many insufficiently sampled zones.
Austria did not manage to confirm the extremely good results of its first appearance in last year's report.
The situation in Portugal is worrying, with a further deterioration in fresh water bathing areas: 16 of the 24 freshwater zones in Portugal do not meet the minimum requirements;
Finland and Sweden seem to have achieved correct practical implementation of the Directive, as for coastal waters, but Finland is only just above 80% compliance and Sweden has not even reached 80% compliance with the minimum requirements.
The United Kingdom has for the first time presented results for nine fresh water bathing zones. All of them meet the minimum requirements, but only two the stricter guide values. The Commission hopes that these nine zones are only the start and that further zones will be identified for the next season.
Despite the encouraging results, a lot still needs to be done for fresh water bathing zones. Commissioner Bjerregaard therefore reiterated her plea and encouraged everyone, governments, environmental associations and individual citizens to put a big effort into improving the quality of fresh water zones.
Now that the majority of coastal bathing waters meet the minimum requirements of the Directive, the Commissioner hopes that Member States will continue their efforts and will now aim at a higher rate of compliance with the stricter guide values.
New elements in the report
Further changes in the structure and content of the report have been made. We have added even more information on the practical implementation of the Bathing Water Directive, for example on infringement procedures, and inserted more visual aids to help readers understand the trends and the changes in quality from bathing season to bathing season.
The Commission hopes that these further improvements will meet with approval and contribute to more constructive and direct communication between the concerned 'users' of the bathing zones and the national and regional regulators.
The Internet site has been updated and further improved. The 'Water' Homepage, including the Bathing Water Quality site with the most recent results, is available as from 18 May 1999 on:
europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/index_en.html
And there is a mailbox for questions or reactions: water@dg11.cec.be
For Member States which put their information on the Internet, you will find the addresses in the bathing water report (p. 18).
Revision of the Directive
The proposed revision of the Directive (presented by the Commission in 1994) was discussed by the Council in July 1998. Member States showed a general preference for a totally new Directive rather than continuing with the process of adopting the 1994 proposal. However, useful elements of the 1994 proposal and the current Directive should be kept, and it was stressed that the Commission should ensure the co-ordination of a new bathing water quality Directive with the proposed Water Framework Directive.
The Commission has therefore started working on a new proposal. In the light of the comments made by the Member States and the scientific, technical and management experts, it is the Commission's intention to conduct an in-depth review.
A series of bilateral meetings with the competent authorities and working parties in the Member States during 1999 will enable the Commission to come forward with a text for broader consultation and discussion with all the stakeholders by the end of 1999 - beginning of 2000.
