European bathing water quality in 2016

Each year millions of Europeans spend their holidays or weekends at Europe's diverse and beautiful beaches and bathing areas. As this year's bathing season approaches, many of them start to take an interest in the quality of water in which they will bathe. Europe is the world's no. 1 tourist destination, and the tourism industry has become a key sector of the European economy, generating over 10 % of EU GDP (directly or indirectly) and employing around 10 million citizens. The competitiveness of the European tourism industry is dependent on the quality of tourist destinations, including the quality of bathing water at those destinations. The European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) (1) are therefore pleased to present this year's bathing water report. The efforts of the European Union to ensure clean and healthy bathing water began forty years ago with the Bathing Water Directive, issued in 1976. A revised version of the directive followed in 2006 (2), updating the measures of the 1976 legislation and simplifying its management and surveillance methods. This revised directive also provides for better and timelier public information about bathing water quality. For recreational activities such as swimming, faecal contamination from sewage and animals is a cause of concern for public health. Swimming at contaminated beaches or bathing lakes can result in illness.

EEA: News, 20.05.16: Forty years of investments have improved Europe’s bathing water http://www.eea.europa.eu/media/newsreleases/forty-years-of-investments-have

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