The new rules, proposed by the Commission in May 2018, must establish harmonized minimum water quality requirements for the safe reuse in agricultural irrigation of treated urban wastewater.
The text includes aspects such as the levels of microbes in the water or the frequency and characteristics of water quality controls. The new regulations will establish that urban wastewater, which will have already been treated in accordance with the community regulations on this type of waste water, they will be subjected to additional treatments in order to respect the new minimum parameters of quality and power, in this way, to be used in agriculture.
Virginijus Sinkevicius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, has declared that "with this provisional agreement we are providing the EU with a powerful tool to deal with some of the problems posed by climate change. Together with water saving measures and efficiency in the use of water resources, the use of regenerated water in the agricultural sector can perform an important function when dealing with water stress and the safe and guarantees, at the same time...., the safety of our citizens".
Currently, water reuse is an established practice in very few Member States, which is being exploited far below its potential. The newly agreed rules will facilitate and encourage the widespread adoption of this beneficial practice, which can ensure a more predictable supply of unpolluted water for EU farmers and help them adapt to and mitigate climate change the effects By establishing minimum requirements, the new rules should ensure the safety of this practice and increase citizens' confidence in agricultural products found in the EU's internal market. This harmonized approach will also facilitate the smooth functioning of the internal market for agricultural products and create new business opportunities for operators and technology providers.
Under the new legislation, urban waste water that has already undergone certain treatments in accordance with the rules of the Directive on the treatment of urban waste water must undergo additional treatment to meet the new minimum quality parameters and, in this way, will be suitable for use in agriculture.
In addition to the harmonized minimum requirements, the new legislation establishes harmonized minimum monitoring requirements; risk management provisions to assess and address potential additional health and environmental risks: and a licensing procedure and a number of transparency provisions, under the in which the most important information about any water reuse project has been made available to the public.
NEXT STAGES
The provisional agreement has now been officially approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
After its approval, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force twenty days after publication.
CONTEXT
The Regulation proposed by the Commission contributes to alleviating the water shortage in the EU in the context of adaptation to climate change. It must ensure that the treated waste water used for agricultural irrigation is safe, thus protecting citizens and the environment.
The proposal fulfills one of the commitments of the Action Plan for the Circular Economy and completes the current legal framework of the EU in matters of water and food products. It also contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development GOALS in the EU (in particular, Goal No. 6, on clean water and sanitation), as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
