BETA


2000/2318(INI) Implementation of the directive on urban waste water

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ENVI SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María (icon: PES PES)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 142-p2, RoP 54

Events

2020/09/10
   EC - For information
2020/09/10
   EC - For information
2017/12/14
   EC - For information
2017/12/14
   EC - For information
Documents
2016/03/04
   EC - For information
2016/03/04
   EC - For information
2013/08/07
   EC - For information
Details

The Commission presented its Seventh Report on the Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).

This 7th Report on the implementation of the Directive describes the progress made up to the end of 2009/2010 . The Report also includes trends in compliance and presents the new approach for "compliance promotion" and its steps towards public information and reporting.

Implementation of this Directive has been challenging mainly because of the financial and planning aspects related to major infrastructure investment such as sewerage systems and treatment facilities.

The implementation efforts of the Member States have already led to significant improvements in waste water treatment. However, implementation is far from being completed and pollution problems persist.

The main conclusions of the report are as follows:

Compliance rate : nearly 20 years after the adoption of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, significant progress towards full implementation was achieved by 2010 .

(1) For the EU-15 , average compliance rates are 88% for secondary treatment and higher for collection systems and more stringent treatment (97 and 90% respectively). The frontrunners Austria, Germany and the Netherlands have largely implemented the Directive with several others being very close to it. For them, the priority will be to maintain and renew the existing infrastructure.

Moreover, since 2010, further investments took place in those EU-15 Member States with delayed compliance, also as a result of the Commission’s infringement actions. To date, approximately 20 horizontal grouped cases against 10 of the EU-15 Member States are still open . With continued efforts over the coming years, it is possible to complete implementation successfully in those 15 Member States by 2015 or 2016 .

(2) EU-12 , the picture is different for those Member States which joined the EU in 2004 and later. Their distance to target is still considerable with average compliance of 72% for collecting systems and 39% and 14% respectively for secondary and more advanced treatment. Without increasing efforts at all levels, expected delays can be similar or longer than those for EU-15 which would bring the laggards in implementation in line with the Directive as late as 2028 .

Big cities : there are 585 big cities identified in this Report, which each produce waste water equivalent (or higher) to a population of 150 000. The pollution load that is produced by these big cities alone is 45% of the total load collected. Out of these 585 big cities, approximately 91% of the pollution load receives more stringent treatment (best available treatment). This is an improvement in comparison to the previous report where only 77% of the relevant pollution load received such treatment. However, the degree of compliance varies significantly amongst big cities/big dischargers.

A main area of concern is the lack of compliance in a significant number of “big cities”. E.g. only eleven of the 27 EU capitals have a collecting system and treatment in place which is complying with technical standards of more than 20 years ago. Given the high pollution load of these big discharges, this causes still considerable environmental pollution.

Compliance assessment : this 7th Implementation Report includes, for the first time, a detailed assessment of compliance for 27 Member States. The reporting infrastructure established within the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) is working well . The report covers almost 24 000 towns and cities of more than 2000 inhabitants (generating pollution corresponding to a population of 615 million, so called population-equivalents).

Almost 18 000 towns and cities (or 81% of the pollution load) are in the 15 Member States which joined the EU before 2004 (EU-15). The remaining are in the 12 Member States which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (EU-12).

The process has been improved and the timelines for data processing and assessment significantly shortened. However, in some Member States further improvements in the monitoring and reporting system are still possible.

New approach for reaching compliance : taking into account the current crisis and the increasing constraints of national budgets, the Commission has identified this Directive as a candidate to launch a pilot initiative for a “new approach” in promoting compliance and implementation.

This “new approach” is set out in the proposed 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) and the “Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources”.

In December 2012, the Commission services started these “new approach” activities with the aim of encouraging Member States to establish or revise implementation plans at the latest by 2014 .

2013/08/07
   EC - For information
2003/02/27
   Final act published in Official Journal
2002/03/14
   EP - Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
2002/03/14
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Documents
2002/03/14
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2002/03/12
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2001/12/18
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2001/12/18
   EP - Vote in committee
2001/12/17
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Documents
2001/03/12
   EP - SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María (PES) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2001/01/18
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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activities
  • date: 2001-01-18T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2001-03-12T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María
  • date: 2001-12-18T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2001-03-12T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2001-459&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A5-0459/2001
  • date: 2002-03-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020312&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2002-03-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-122 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T5-0122/2002 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2003-02-27T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal
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date
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committee_full
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rapporteur
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docs
  • date: 2001-12-10T00:00:00 docs: title: PE307.542/AM type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2001-12-18T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2001-459&language=EN title: A5-0459/2001 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP
  • date: 2001-12-19T00:00:00 docs: title: PE307.542 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2002-03-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-122 title: T5-0122/2002 title: OJ C 047 27.02.2003, p. 0419-0583 E summary: type: Text adopted by Parliament, single reading body: EP
  • date: 2013-08-07T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/registre/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2013/0574/COM_COM(2013)0574_FR.pdf title: COM(2013)0574 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2013&nu_doc=574 title: EUR-Lex summary: The Commission presented its Seventh Report on the Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). This 7th Report on the implementation of the Directive describes the progress made up to the end of 2009/2010 . The Report also includes trends in compliance and presents the new approach for "compliance promotion" and its steps towards public information and reporting. Implementation of this Directive has been challenging mainly because of the financial and planning aspects related to major infrastructure investment such as sewerage systems and treatment facilities. The implementation efforts of the Member States have already led to significant improvements in waste water treatment. However, implementation is far from being completed and pollution problems persist. The main conclusions of the report are as follows: Compliance rate : nearly 20 years after the adoption of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, significant progress towards full implementation was achieved by 2010 . (1) For the EU-15 , average compliance rates are 88% for secondary treatment and higher for collection systems and more stringent treatment (97 and 90% respectively). The frontrunners Austria, Germany and the Netherlands have largely implemented the Directive with several others being very close to it. For them, the priority will be to maintain and renew the existing infrastructure. Moreover, since 2010, further investments took place in those EU-15 Member States with delayed compliance, also as a result of the Commission’s infringement actions. To date, approximately 20 horizontal grouped cases against 10 of the EU-15 Member States are still open . With continued efforts over the coming years, it is possible to complete implementation successfully in those 15 Member States by 2015 or 2016 . (2) EU-12 , the picture is different for those Member States which joined the EU in 2004 and later. Their distance to target is still considerable with average compliance of 72% for collecting systems and 39% and 14% respectively for secondary and more advanced treatment. Without increasing efforts at all levels, expected delays can be similar or longer than those for EU-15 which would bring the laggards in implementation in line with the Directive as late as 2028 . Big cities : there are 585 big cities identified in this Report, which each produce waste water equivalent (or higher) to a population of 150 000. The pollution load that is produced by these big cities alone is 45% of the total load collected. Out of these 585 big cities, approximately 91% of the pollution load receives more stringent treatment (best available treatment). This is an improvement in comparison to the previous report where only 77% of the relevant pollution load received such treatment. However, the degree of compliance varies significantly amongst big cities/big dischargers. A main area of concern is the lack of compliance in a significant number of “big cities”. E.g. only eleven of the 27 EU capitals have a collecting system and treatment in place which is complying with technical standards of more than 20 years ago. Given the high pollution load of these big discharges, this causes still considerable environmental pollution. Compliance assessment : this 7th Implementation Report includes, for the first time, a detailed assessment of compliance for 27 Member States. The reporting infrastructure established within the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) is working well . The report covers almost 24 000 towns and cities of more than 2000 inhabitants (generating pollution corresponding to a population of 615 million, so called population-equivalents). Almost 18 000 towns and cities (or 81% of the pollution load) are in the 15 Member States which joined the EU before 2004 (EU-15). The remaining are in the 12 Member States which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (EU-12). The process has been improved and the timelines for data processing and assessment significantly shortened. However, in some Member States further improvements in the monitoring and reporting system are still possible. New approach for reaching compliance : taking into account the current crisis and the increasing constraints of national budgets, the Commission has identified this Directive as a candidate to launch a pilot initiative for a “new approach” in promoting compliance and implementation. This “new approach” is set out in the proposed 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) and the “Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources”. In December 2012, the Commission services started these “new approach” activities with the aim of encouraging Member States to establish or revise implementation plans at the latest by 2014 . type: For information body: EC
  • date: 2013-08-07T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2013:0298:FIN:EN:PDF title: EUR-Lex title: SWD(2013)0298 type: For information body: EC
  • date: 2016-03-04T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2016/0105/COM_COM(2016)0105_EN.pdf title: COM(2016)0105 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2016&nu_doc=0105 title: EUR-Lex type: For information body: EC
  • date: 2016-03-04T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2016:0045:FIN:EN:PDF title: EUR-Lex title: SWD(2016)0045 type: For information body: EC
  • date: 2017-12-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2017/0749/COM_COM(2017)0749_EN.pdf title: COM(2017)0749 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2017&nu_doc=0749 title: EUR-Lex type: For information body: EC
  • date: 2017-12-14T00:00:00 docs: title: SWD(2017)0445 type: For information body: EC
events
  • date: 2001-01-18T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2001-12-18T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2001-12-18T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2001-459&language=EN title: A5-0459/2001
  • date: 2002-03-12T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020312&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2002-03-14T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-122 title: T5-0122/2002 summary:
  • date: 2002-03-14T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2003-02-27T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal
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    New
    • ENVI/5/14275
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    Rules of Procedure EP 132-p2
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    Rules of Procedure EP 52
    procedure/legal_basis/1
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 132-p2
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    Old
    • 3.70.04 Water control and management, pollution of waterways, water pollution
    New
    3.70.04
    Water control and management, pollution of waterways, water pollution
    activities
    • date: 2001-01-18T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2001-03-12T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María
    • date: 2001-12-18T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2001-03-12T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2001-459&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A5-0459/2001
    • date: 2002-03-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020312&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2002-03-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-122 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T5-0122/2002 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
    • date: 2003-02-27T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal
    committees
    • body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2001-03-12T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: SORNOSA MARTÍNEZ María
    links
    other
      procedure
      dossier_of_the_committee
      ENVI/5/14275
      reference
      2000/2318(INI)
      title
      Implementation of the directive on urban waste water
      legal_basis
      stage_reached
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      type
      INI - Own-initiative procedure
      subject
      3.70.04 Water control and management, pollution of waterways, water pollution