🇪🇺 Water pollution: Update of the list of priority substances in surface and groundwater 💧🌍

By CASC4DE September 26, 2025

 

🇪🇺 On September 23, 2025, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement to “update environmental quality standards for a number of pollutants and add new ones, aligning the EU’s water policy with the latest scientific evidence”.

🔍 Key points of this agreement

This agreement introduces new substances of concern such as:

• ➕ PFAS ♾️ and TFA, a degradation product of certain PFAS, which will be added to the initially proposed sum of 24 PFAS for surface waters,
• ➕ Bisphenol A 🧪,
• ➕ certain medicines 💊,
• ➕ certain pesticides 🌱.

📏 Introduction of an overall standard for pesticides in surface waters, with a total pesticide sum set at 0.2 µg/L.

📝 Strengthening of monitoring and transparency obligations for Member States, with notification mechanisms in case of major incidents.

🌊 Alignment with river basin management plans for consistent implementation.

This revision is part of the EU’s ambition to achieve a pollution-free environment by 2050 🌱♻️, in line with the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

🗓️ The provisional agreement must now be formally adopted and transposed into national legislation by December 21, 2027.

🔗 To learn more: Read the Council’s press release