| Author (Person) | Smith, Emily |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.10, 16.3.06 |
| Publication Date | 16/03/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Emily Smith Date: 16/03/06 European beach holidays could look more appealing this summer, as new bathing water standards kick in. The updated 30-year-old rules on the quality of EU coastal and inland waters will enter into force later this month (24 March) in a bid to cut the number of swimmers who fall ill every year because of bacterial pollution in European waters. Under the new legislation, registered bathing sites will have to be labelled as falling into one of four categories: poor, sufficient, good or excellent. And any beach classified as "poor" for five years in a row will have to ban swimming altogether. Swimming pools and spas will not be affected. The directive sets maximum allowable levels for two types of bacteria, e-coli and intestinal enterococci, both of which can cause fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. The European Commission claims the new standards will mean the risk of falling ill after swimming in Europe becomes 8%, down from 15% today. A Commission spokesman said the revised rules were needed because "Europeans demand optimal water quality. The new standards will allow us to improve already high standards." But the deal took three years to thrash out, with environmentalists concerned that it might not change enough. Green groups pointed out that some beaches in tourist favourite Spain were not meeting the existing standards. MEPs had hoped to phase out the "sufficient" category altogether, increasing pressure on member states to make sure all European beaches and rivers were either good or excellent. But last-minute compromises during conciliation talks saw them left with the four categories proposed by governments. Environmentalists are now lobbying for a second chance to clean up European holidays, through a broad marine strategy directive, published last October. The proposal could also make swimming in the sea safer by tackling a wide range of water pollutants. It also encourages Europeans to stop dropping litter in the sea. But NGOs have criticised the marine proposal. They claim it is too weak and contains no definition of the "good environmental status" it is supposed to promote. Saskia Richartz of Greenpeace said the marine strategy had to be strengthened in order to back up the bathing directive. "It's good to know we can swim in the sea without falling sick, but the sea isn't healthy just because it is safe for bathing," she said. "To restore the balance of life in our oceans, the EU needs to agree and implement clear and time-bound targets for their recovery." A third proposal, looking at industry as well as environmental issues linked to the sea, is expected at the end of May. Article reports on the entry into force of the EU's revised Directive on bathing water quality on 24 March 2006. The Directive sets maximum allowable levels for two types of bacteria, e-coli and intestinal enterococci, in an attempt to bring down the risk of falling ill after swimming in Europe. Under the new legislation, registered bathing sites have to be labelled as falling into one of four categories: poor, sufficient, good or excellent. Article also looks at the Marine Strategy Directive proposed by the European Commisison in October 2005. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Environment |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
