Press Release: Water policy: Commission identifies priority substances and proposes to phase out eleven hazardous substances

As a follow-up to the recent Water Framework Directive, the European Commission has proposed a list of 32 priority substances to be phased out, including eleven substances identified as hazardous. Once this list has been finally adopted by the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission will propose Community-wide water quality standards and emission controls for these chemicals. For substances on the list classified as priority hazardous substances, the controls will mean that all releases to the aquatic environment will cease within a 20-year period.