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BackPoliticians and scientists agree: when it comes to using water, we still have a long way to go. This year, the traditional “Green Week” of the European Commission has been exclusively focussing on water policy. Even though the newly published Bathing Water Report confirms that 92 % of all lakes are meeting the minimum standard for water quality, the situation concerning rivers is far less satisfactory. And, there is also room for some Member States to improve their sewage treatment.
Both, Karl Falkenberg, the Director General for Environment of the European Commission and his Commissioner Janez Potočnik pointed out what important role water plays in all walks of life. Water was essential for agriculture, manufacturing and in generating energy. The Danish Minister Ida Auken emphasised that water was a resource, which had to be looked after and cared for. There had to be a paradigm shift to get the fact across that a clean environment is important for growth. Not only people living in the European Union had to ensure a sustainable water policy. Many products, for example, were manufactured in China, which meant that the Chinese too had to ensure that water was used efficiently. What was needed was a global target for water, said Auken.
In his capacity as a scientist, Professor Ghislain de Marsily commented on the danger of future water shortages in Europe. Not only Spain or Portugal would be affected by increasing water shortages in the next decades, but also countries such as Belgium, France or Germany. Some action had already been taken to use water more efficiently and to reduce waste. Ideas were necessary to be able to react to the threatening water shortage. Seawater desalination plants had already been built; waste water would be reused. Marsily also pointed out that the Alps were a water reservoir in Europa. It would be possible to divert this water to Barcelona for example. The US and China would already transport water across long distances.
Peter Kristensen of the European Environment Agency informed the audience that a number of legislative initiatives to reduce water pollution had been introduced in the last decades. However, more than half of the 104,000 rivers and 19,000 lakes in the European Union were not up to standard. For example, in 60 % of the cases, the water quality of Germany’s rivers was poor to very poor. Representatives of the European Commission reported that the water quality over the last decades had been improved by legislative measures, such as the Water Framework Directive, the Nitrates Directive or the Waste Water Directive. Nevertheless, significant efforts had to be made in future, to improve the water quality even further. In particular the new Member States had a lot of catching up to do.
Further information:
Further information on the quality of bathing lakes
In his capacity as a scientist, Professor Ghislain de Marsily commented on the danger of future water shortages in Europe. Not only Spain or Portugal would be affected by increasing water shortages in the next decades, but also countries such as Belgium, France or Germany. Some action had already been taken to use water more efficiently and to reduce waste. Ideas were necessary to be able to react to the threatening water shortage. Seawater desalination plants had already been built; waste water would be reused. Marsily also pointed out that the Alps were a water reservoir in Europa. It would be possible to divert this water to Barcelona for example. The US and China would already transport water across long distances.
Peter Kristensen of the European Environment Agency informed the audience that a number of legislative initiatives to reduce water pollution had been introduced in the last decades. However, more than half of the 104,000 rivers and 19,000 lakes in the European Union were not up to standard. For example, in 60 % of the cases, the water quality of Germany’s rivers was poor to very poor. Representatives of the European Commission reported that the water quality over the last decades had been improved by legislative measures, such as the Water Framework Directive, the Nitrates Directive or the Waste Water Directive. Nevertheless, significant efforts had to be made in future, to improve the water quality even further. In particular the new Member States had a lot of catching up to do.
Further information:
Further information on the quality of bathing lakes