The Council of the European Union has formally adopted a directive updating the list of pollutants affecting surface water and groundwater across the bloc, expanding coverage to include pesticides, pharmaceuticals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The revised legislation also tightens environmental standards for several existing substances and strengthens monitoring requirements throughout the EU.
The directive amends three key pieces of EU water legislation: the Water Framework Directive, the Groundwater Directive, and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive. The changes are intended to align EU water policy with the latest scientific evidence on chemical pollution and emerging contaminants.
Under the updated rules, the EU-wide list of priority substances has been expanded to include certain pharmaceuticals such as painkillers, additional pesticides, bisphenols and PFAS — often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their persistence in the environment. For the first time, the directive also introduces provisions to assess the cumulative risks posed by combined exposure to multiple substances.
Several pollutants already subject to regulation will face stricter environmental quality standards. In addition, microplastics and indicators of antimicrobial resistance have been added to the EU’s water watchlists, enabling authorities to track substances of emerging concern and inform future regulatory reviews.
The directive enhances monitoring and reporting obligations for member states to improve water quality and transparency. A new requirement for effect-based monitoring of surface waters will assess the impact of chemical mixtures on aquatic ecosystems. Member states will also be permitted to use remote sensing and Earth observation technologies to support monitoring efforts. Countries must report on biological and chemical quality, as well as the overall status of water bodies, to ensure more consistent and reliable data collection across the EU.
The adoption by the Council marks the completion of its legislative procedure. The European Parliament is expected to hold a final vote on the directive by the end of March. Member states will have until 2039 to comply with the new standards for both surface and groundwater, while stricter standards for certain surface water pollutants must be met by 2033.
Chemical pollution of water bodies poses significant risks to human health and aquatic ecosystems, including acute and chronic toxicity for marine and freshwater species. According to river basin management plans developed under the Water Framework Directive, 46 per cent of surface waters and 24 per cent of groundwater bodies in the EU currently fail to meet existing environmental quality standards, with notable disparities among member states. The revised directive seeks to address these shortcomings by strengthening protection against emerging pollutants and chemical mixtures.
