Over the past few years, the European Commission has introduced revisions to several legislative files related to water policy. One of the key proposals of revision, the Water Framework Directive, aims to strengthen the protection of groundwater from pollution and improve environmental quality standards. On the file, negotiating positions were adopted by the European Parliament in September 2023 and by the Council in June 2024. The Hungarian Presidency of the Council is now expected to push for a compromise that balances environmental concerns with agricultural and economic interests—aligning with its commitment to environmental protection and its focus on safeguarding Europe’s water supply from pollution.
)
The proposal seeks to revise the list of pollutants affecting surface and groundwater, introducing stricter controls on 25 new substances, including PFAS, pesticides, Bisphenol A, and certain pharmaceuticals.
The parliamentary procedure for this directive took place during the previous legislature, with former MEP Milan Brglez appointed as the Rapporteur for the file within the ENVI Committee. Brglez’s report proposed even stricter requirements for groundwater pollution, including the establishment of thresholds for pollutants at levels ten times more stringent than those for surface water. The report also recommended the creation of an open, regularly updated list of pollutants, and called for the inclusion of certain PFAS in the list, while also advocating for stricter standards for some substances than those proposed by the Commission. The Parliament’s position was further reinforced during the plenary vote held last September 2023, when MEPs pushed for the inclusion of microplastics in the list of pollutants and tighter controls on certain pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
The Council adopted its negotiating position in June 2024, following a compromise reached among Member States. The approved text proposes less stringent measures than those included in the Parliament's report, aligning more closely with the original Commission proposal. The Council's text includes new contaminants and quality standards for PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. It also introduces EU-level indicators to measure progress in water quality and clarifies that short-term activities without lasting consequences will not be considered as deterioration of water body status. Member States have until 2039 to achieve good chemical status for groundwater, with the introduction of a mandatory "watch list mechanism" for groundwater pollutants.
Interinstitutional negotiations are currently underway, led by the Hungarian Presidency of the Council. The Presidency is expected to advocate for a compromise that balances environmental goals with agricultural and economic demands, in line with its stated priorities and Hungary's own stance on the issue.