Deal on Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive ensures access to clean water for everyone

The Renew Europe Group welcomes today's interinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The newly adopted legislation, which is a key initiative under the EU zero pollution plan for air, water and soil, now provides for a steady expansion of urban wastewater collection systems, connecting many more households, while pursuing stricter and more ambitious clean water targets by eliminating the broadest spectrum of pollutants and nutrients. An updated and more ambitious Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will ensure that all citizens in Europe have access to clean and healthy water.

As water is a vital public good that belongs to everyone, we must act responsibly in the way we use and reuse our precious water resources. The revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, led by Renew rapporteur Nils Torvalds, therefore provides answers to many water challenges we are already facing today and for which sustainable solutions need to be rolled out. Hence, the Renew Europe Group welcomes that pollution from forever chemicals such as PFAS will also be addressed and that, with climate distortion impacting us all, more efforts will be made on green and blue infrastructure solutions in urban areas to reduce storm water overflows.

Renew Europe rapporteur Nils Torvalds (Svenska Folkpartiet, Finland) says:

"We have a deal! Today, we reached an agreement on more ambitious rules on wastewater management across all of Europe, making sure that micro-pollutants from pharmaceutical cosmetic residues are treated, along with stricter nutrient removal requirements. Water is an increasingly scarce resource, and we need to manage it well, also by increasing the reuse of it. Finally, we make sure that pollution from forever chemicals is not only monitored, but also tackled in the next revision – a huge win!"