Clean water is a win for everyone

The Renew Europe Group welcomes today’s vote in plenary on the update of the Urban Wastewater Directive. Reducing our footprint on natural resources and ecosystems while taking care of our public health is part of Renew Europe’s core business. As water is a vital public good that belongs to everyone, we need to manage our precious water resources in a sustainable way.

The new Urban Wastewater Directive, which is a key initiative under the EU zero pollution plan for air, water and soil, aims for more ambitious clean water goals with stricter and expanded pollutants and nutrients removal targets. In order to achieve the highest water quality standards, the new directive now also provides for additional treatments to remove the widest spectrum of micro – pollutants.

The revision of this directive, led by Renew rapporteur Nils Torvalds, also provides for a steady extension of urban wastewater collecting systems and the introduction of new monitoring requirements, which puts us on track to achieve clean and healthy water for everyone.

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

“The revision of the urban wastewater directive is a big step forward towards clean water in Europe! With climate change making its presence felt, we are facing major challenges in the field of water and we need to make sure we manage our water resources well. With eutrophication, droughts and pollution by micro – pollutants every drop of water counts.”