Surface Water Protection
against Pollution under the Water Framework Directive
The European Commission adopted a proposal for a
new Directive to protect surface water from pollution on 17
July 2006 (COM(2006)397 final). The proposed Directive, which
is required to support the Water Framework Directive, will
set limits on concentrations in surface waters of 41 dangerous
chemical substances (including 33
priority substances and 8 other pollutants) that pose
a particular risk to animal and plant life in the aquatic
environment and to human health. The proposal will contribute
to the Commission's Better Regulation initiative by replacing
five older directives,
allowing their repeal.
This proposal is part of the new strategy against chemical
pollution of waters introduced by the Water Framework Directive
(see here for more details). The proposal
is accompanied by a Communication (COM(2006)398 final)
which elaborates on this approach and an Impact Assessment
which illustrates the choices that the Commission made.
Key Documents available
Other Supporting Background Documents used in the
development of the proposal are available here.
Progress in the negotiations
The detailed progress in the negotiations can be followed
through Pre-Lex.
The main stages are listed below:
17 July 2008 : Commission's Communication COM(2008) 487 final on the second reading vote in the EP adopted ! 
17 June 2008 : Adoption of a second reading agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the Directive - formal adoption, publication and entry into force will follow later in the second semester of 2008 !
21 February 2008 : Start of the second reading.
28 June 2007: Environment
Council – Political Agreement
22 May 2007: European
Parliament - First Reading adoption - see amendments
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