💧 EU Water Pollution Standards: Time to Act 💧

EU representatives were due to reach an agreement on updating water pollution standards on 15 July, but negotiations have once again been postponed until 23 September.

We’re nearing 3 years since the European Commission proposed long-overdue updates to regulate pharmaceuticals, more pesticides, and PFAS in surface and groundwater. This delay is becoming something of a record… 

These #RulesToProtect would rightly require Member States to monitor and act on these substances to urgently protect both people’s health and precious ecosystems on which we all depend.

Meanwhile, alarming reports continue to surface:

🧪 Toxic industrial discharges into rivers

💩 Raw sewage spreading antimicrobial resistance

🚱 Pesticides contaminating drinking water

 

As scientists did a few months earlier, a broad coalition of environmental and health organisations, healthcare professionals, social partners, recreational fishing associations, and water-dependent businesses is calling on the @Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2025, which kicked off in July, to conclude the negotiations without delay.

We urging the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU to oppose attempts by some states to lower the ambition of the text and to take a position against an extension of the transition period or the introduction of new exemptions to the Water Framework Directive.

We must uphold ambition, adopt strong new quality standards, and legally ensure that Member States include targeted measures in the next River Basin Management Plans (2028–2033).

The health of Europe’s water – and its people – can’t wait 🌍

read the letter

logo Living Rivers Europe

The Living Rivers Europe Coalition urges Environment Ministers to support the upcoming Council conclusions on the European Water Resilience Strategy

 In light of increasing water scarcity, pollution, floods, and ecosystem degradation, the coalition calls for prioritising the restoration of the natural water cycle and ensuring access to clean water.

The success of the Strategy depends on fully implementing existing EU water and nature laws, particularly the Water Framework Directive, and on integrating water resilience into all relevant sectors – such as agriculture, energy, and transport. Nature-based solutions, such as wetland and floodplain restoration, must be prioritised over technological fixes, with clear, dedicated funding to support them.

The coalition also highlights the need for stronger governance, pollution prevention, and financial tools to drive systemic change. They call for targeted investments, conditionality in EU agricultural policy, and robust accountability measures.

Key requests:

  • Endorse the objectives of the European Water Resilience Strategy

  • Prioritise restoration of natural water cycles and ecosystems

  • Fully implement existing legislation, especially the Water Framework Directive

  • Mainstream water resilience across sectors and funding programmes

  • Prioritise nature-based solutions over technological infrastructure

  • Ensure dedicated funding in the next EU budget (2028–2034)

  • Enforce the Polluter Pays Principle and strengthen accountability

  • Apply strict environmental conditionality under the Common Agricultural Policy

  • Direct European Investment Bank funding toward ecological water retention projects

 

read the letter

 

SNB 2030 remains an ambitious framework, but its success will depend on the ability to remove the obstacles identified by the CNB.

The National Biodiversity Strategy 2030 aims to translate France’s commitment under the global biodiversity framework adopted in Montreal in December 2022 into concrete actions. Its ambition is clear: to halt and then reverse the collapse of biodiversity by 2030, in line with European and international objectives. The strategy is structured around four main areas and is based on a participatory approach involving public and private actors, associations and scientists.

At its meeting on 24 June 2025, the National Biodiversity Committee adopted a critical opinion on the 2024 progress report on the SNB 2030. It includes a detailed analysis and recommendations to strengthen the strategy’s effectiveness.
In summary, the SNB 2030 remains an ambitious framework, but its success will depend on the ability to overcome the obstacles identified by the CNB: financial resources, policy coherence and the involvement of all stakeholders.

Indeed, the CNB raises serious questions about France’s ability to meet its commitments, particularly in light of ongoing political and budgetary decisions. It emphasises that the resources allocated and the consistency of public policies remain insufficient to achieve the objectives set.
In particular, it recommends programming dedicated multi-year funding and ending subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity, as well as strengthening the convergence between climate and biodiversity policies in order to give them the same level of priority in public action.

The CNB highlights a gap between the stated ambitions and the concrete resources implemented, particularly in terms of ecosystem protection and the fight against invasive alien species.
It stresses the need for better territorialisation of the strategy, involving regions and local actors more closely, and for regular assessment of progress made.

The strategy must now be implemented at the regional level (regional COPs) and monitored annually by the CNB until 2030. The coming months will be crucial in assessing whether the committee’s recommendations are being taken into account and whether the resources allocated are sufficient to meet the challenges.

See NGO’s press release.

European water resilience strategy: ambition hampered by a lack of concrete commitments

On June 4, 2025, the European Commission presented its EU water resilience strategy, a much-anticipated document at a time when shortages, floods, and pollution are increasingly threatening aquatic ecosystems.

But behind the stated intentions, the content is disappointing.

This document, which is supposed to respond to the call made by the Living Rivers Europe coalition in its recommendations, falls short in several respects. It lacks concrete commitments, clearly identified funding, and truly operational governance tools. After the European Parliament vote on May 7, several NGOs had already expressed doubts about Europe’s ability to provide itself with the means to respond to the water crisis. The strategy reflects the Commission’s view that “the legislative framework is already in place,” based on the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive, and the newly adopted Nature Restoration Regulation, yet “persistent implementation failures are holding back progress.”

The text highlights nature-based solutions, but without setting legally binding targets or providing specific budgets for their implementation. The incentives proposed remain too vague to bring about real change. In two separate responses, the EurEau federation and the Living Rivers NGO coalition regretted the absence of targets to reduce water abstraction in the strategy. Such a target was included in a draft version of the communication—which Contexte had published—but was ultimately replaced by a target to improve “water use efficiency” in the final version presented by the Commission on June 4. The efficiency target is vaguely defined: it “provides no baseline, no sectoral roadmap, and no implementation mechanism to achieve it.” The NGO coalition also deplores the fact that the target is not binding in any case.

On pollution, the measures are still too weak, particularly on prevention at source and the application of the polluter pays principle. Yet PFAS, nitrates, and other harmful substances continue to pollute waters across Europe.

The lack of a roadmap for the agricultural sector, combined with the absence of quantified targets by area, weakens the strategy.

As Living Rivers Europe points out, without concrete means or a precise plan, this ambition risks remaining unfulfilled. Meanwhile, pressure on rivers and wetlands continues to worsen.

The coming months will tell whether the Commission and Member States will be able to turn promises into action and take decisions that are commensurate with the challenge.

More infos : read Living Rivers Europe press release

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Living Rivers Europe recommendations to strengthen the EU Water Resilience Strategy

The European water resilience strategy will be voted on at the beginning of June.

But following the recent report voted by the European Parliament on 7 May, and media reports on the Commission’s draft, the NGO coalition Living Rivers Europe fears that the forthcoming strategy lacks the tools needed to make Europe truly water resilient. The strategy is intended to respond to the growing urgency of water scarcity, floods, pollution, and ecosystem degradation across the continent.

Based on recent media reports, the draft text lacks the binding commitments, dedicated funding, and governance tools needed to ensure meaningful implementation and systemic change. Without those, ambition will remain on paper and will not be able to tackle growing pressures on Europe’s rivers and wetlands. On 20 May, the NGO coalition Living Rivers Europe sent a letter to the European Commission outlining their recommendations to ensure that the strategy can help Europe and citizens thrive.

At the beginning of May, the Living Rivers Europe coalition had already indicated that the European Parliament’s recommendations were a step in the right direction, but lacked ambition, with the text focusing on ‘grey infrastructures’ – i.e. systems and structures created by man – to the detriment of nature-based solutions.

In their report, adopted on 7 May by 470 votes to 81 with 92 abstentions, MEPs called for an ambitious strategy to enable the EU to better manage its water resources and respond more effectively to current challenges in this area. The text stresses that water is not only essential for health and life, but is also central to the European economy, its competitiveness and its efforts to adapt to climate change. The recommendations are aimed at water efficiency targets, pollution reduction and better disaster preparedness, but without any real tools. More info

Tuesday, May 20 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.: ERN webinar “Learn more about the Open Rivers Programme” (in French).

The Open Rivers Programme continues to found barriers removal projects, preparatory studies and works. ERN – SOS Loire Vivante, can help and advise you if you wish to apply. To prepare the next call for projects, a webinar to present the program, eligibility criteria and ask your questions is organized on May 20 from 4 to 5:30 pm (in french). registration required.

 

Open Rivers Programme : Open Rivers Programme: Two new projects selected in partnership with ERN and SMDMCA

The Open Rivers Programme continues to support the restoration of river continuity in Europe.

Two new projects, supported by ERN in partnership with SMDMCA, have just been selected in the Cantal region of France: the Batitan and Moulin Bas weirs.

This brings to 13 the number of projects (studies or works) in partnership with ERN and the Open Rivers Programme in France.

 

Seuil de Moulin Bas ©SMDMCA

The Moulin Bas project

The Moulin Bas weir is located on the Souvigne stream, a tributary of the Dordogne. This watercourse, classified in lists 1 and 2 (L.214-17 du CE) is of great ecological importance. In 2018, the Souvigne was home to 8.4% of the spawning grounds for large salmonids in the Dordogne basin, according to a study carried out by ECOGEA for MIGADO. The Moulin Bas weir is an obstacle to migratory fish. It will therefore be removed during the works scheduled for autumn 2025, opening up 15 km of river, or 83% of the Souvigne’s length. Read more

Seuil de Batitan ©SMDMCA

The Batitan project

The Batitan dam is located on the Branugues stream, a tributary of the Cère, in the Cantal department. The Branugues stream is home to numerous species, including fario trout and river lamprey. As with the Moulin Bas project, work will start in autumn 2025, opening up more than 8 km of stream, or 87% of the creek. By eliminating this obstacle, it will be possible to restore upstream spawning habitats and bolster the trout population already present in the stream. Read more 

 

 

Upcoming webinar

Ahead of the next Open Rivers Programme call for projects, ERN will be organizing a webinar to present the program and eligibility criteria. (to be confirmed – May 20, 2025 in frenche).

 

Dates of the next Open Rivers Programme calls for projects

Summer session 2025: from June 9 to July 4, 2025 (decision and start of projects from November 2025)
Autumn session 2025: from October 6 to October 31, 2025 (decision and start of projects from March 2026).

Find out more about these projects and the Open Rivers program:

 

 IUCN Report Recommends: Stop Water Abstraction at Shushica River in Albania and Use Alternatives

Joint press release by EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur

 

Tirana, January 29, 2025  –  This Monday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released an assessment report about the controversial water abstraction project from the Shushica River, a vital tributary of the Vjosa River within Albania’s Vjosa Wild River National Park (VWRNP). With the project, the Albanian government aims to divert water to the Mediterranean coast to support large-scale tourism. The report, developed by leading international and Albanian experts, concluded that the proposed project would have a severe impact on the national park’s biodiversity and fail to comply with IUCN national park standards. It recommends avoiding the project altogether and using alternative water resources instead. “Avoidance is mandatory to achieve No Net-Loss of biodiversity and avoid significant adverse impacts on the integrity of the VWRNP and its objectives.” so the report states (IUCN, 2025, p. 59).

EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur welcome the results of the report and urge the Albanian government to act decisively on the report’s findings and protect the VWRNP by prioritizing the Avoidance Scenario. This scenario prohibits water abstraction from the Shushica River and recommends alternative water sources outside the park, ensuring that the national park’s objectives are upheld. WATCH OUR VIDEO

Key Findings of the Assessment

  • Violation of National Park criteria & Severe Ecological Risks: The assessment highlights the project’s potentially devastating impacts, including:
    • Loss of critical habitats for endangered species, such as fish, amphibians, and aquatic vegetation.
    • Irreversible damage to sediment transport, water quality, and biodiversity.

As a result of the above, the project is in violation of IUCN guidelines for Category II National Parks, to which the Albanian government has committed itself. It “is expected to have implications for the objectives of the VWRNP. As planned, the project water abstraction will not comply with IUCN guidelines for Category II National Parks, potentially affecting the park’s integrity and conservation objectives as well as ecosystem services.” (IUCN, 2025 Executive Summary)

  • Lepusha Springs Are Crucial: Contrary to the claims of the project proponents – including the Albanian Ministry of the Environment – the Lepusha Springs are of crucial importance for the Shushica. They form the primary source of the river and are integral to the river’s ecosystem. The IUCN report describes the springs as a “key inherent part of the Shushica River, given the functional meaning for the whole river ecosystem.” (IUCN, 2025, p. 22) The project as planned would extract the entire flow of the springs during dry months, leaving no water for the river’s biodiversity.
  • Viable Alternatives Exist: The assessment identifies several alternative water sources, such as the Borshi, Tatzati and Fera Springs, which are capable of meeting water demand without damaging the Vjosa Wild River National Park.
  • Climate Change Compounds the Risk: With climate change projected to reduce water availability in the Vjosa and Shushica River by 30% by 2050, the ecological impact of water abstraction would be even more severe in the future.

The Austrian company STRABAG has been laying these pipes to divert the spring water of the Shushica to the Mediterranean coast © Adrian Guri

 

NGOs and Local Communities Call for Immediate Action
The NGOs of the Blue Heart campaign and local residents of the Shushica Valley are united in their opposition to the planned project.

“This report reinforces the stance we’ve held since the start of this fight: the project would cause significant damage to vast areas of the Wild River National Park, and with alternative water sources available, it is completely unnecessary,” said Olsi Nika from EcoAlbania. “The Avoidance Scenario is the only path forward to protect one of Europe’s last wild river ecosystems and preserve the integrity of the VWRNP.”

“For generations, the Shushica River has been the lifeline of our valley—providing water for our fields, supporting our livelihoods, and offering a place of natural beauty,” said ,” said Astrit Balilaj, mayor of the village Kuç in the Shushica Valley .“We will not stand by and let this project destroy our river and our way of life. The government must listen to science and choose the Avoidance Scenario to protect our future.”

NGOs echo the call to abandon plans that threaten the national park, urging project developers, including the Albanian Development Fund, to embrace sustainable alternatives that respect the park’s integrity and long-term ecological health.

 


Background information

  • Other Scenarios Evaluated: In addition to Avoidance, the report assessed two other scenarios of lower priority, following the standardized framework of an IUCN Mitigation Hierarchy Assessment:
    • Minimization/Mitigation Scenario: : This would necessitate significantly less water abstraction from the Lepusha Springs, a complete redesign of the water intake and the use of alternative sources in parallel. A year-long hydrological and biodiversity study is required to determine an environmental flow regime and so is “an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) according to the amended EIA Directive” (IUCN, 2025, p. 65) in order to minimize environmental impacts during construction phase. This means that construction could not proceed as currently planned.
    • Offsets Scenario: Under this scenario, the project would proceed as planned but compensation measures—such as expanding the VWRNP boundaries to include additional areas, such as the Vjosa Delta—would be required to offset the damage. However, the report stresses that offsetting cannot fully mitigate the ecological harm caused by the project.
  • Download the Full Report and the Executive Summary. The report was independently financed by IUCN, and through aligned grant funds from Patagonia, and the Gordon and Betty Moore foundation, and was prepared by leading international and Albanian experts.
  • The Shushica, a key tributary of the Vjosa and part of Europe’s first Wild River National Park, faces threats from a water abstraction project. The government plans to divert its spring water to the Mediterranean coast to support large-scale tourism. While a 17 km pipeline from Kuç to Himara is nearly complete, the critical diversion infrastructure remains unbuilt. Financed by KfW and the EU (Western Balkans Investment Framework) and constructed by Austrian STRABAG, the project is both destructive and unnecessary, as alternative water sources exist outside the park. Local communities are determined to stop the diversion dam.
  • The Vjosa is one of the last big wild river in Europe outside Russia. Along her course of almost 270 kilometers, the river flows entirely unobstructed from the Pindus Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. In March 2023, after ten years of our campaign, the Albanian government proclaimed Europe’s first Wild River National Park.
  • Photos attached: The attached photo material can be used once in connection with this press release and indicating photo credits. Photos in print quality on request.

Contact
Besjana Guri – EcoAlbania b.guri@ecoalbania.org   0035/692954214
Ulrich Eichelmann – Riverwatch ulrich.eichelmann@riverwatch.eu 0043/6766621512
Christian Stielow – EuroNatur christian.stielow@euronatur.org 0049/7732 9272 15

 

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Living Rivers Europe publishes its position : Making Europe climate and water resilient

from wwf epo , 24 january

Europe stands at a critical juncture. As the fastest-warming continent, we are witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change – from deadly floods to severe droughts and wildfires – all driven by extreme water events. At the same time, Europe’s freshwater is widely polluted, with less than 30% of surface waters meeting pollution standards set by the Water Framework Directive. Time is running out, but decisive EU leadership can pave the way for a resilient future.

As the EU prepares its Water Resilience Strategy, the Living Rives Europe coalition is launching its joint position on the path forward for a water and climate resilient Europe.

Read the position here.

ERN +180 ORGANISATIONS CALL THE EU COMMISSION TO PROVIDE GUARANTEES ON CLIMATE, NATURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, ENSURING THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE

Keep the Green Deal solid! Europe must not destroy its crowning achievement. It’s future-proofing jobs, prosperity and nature.

The Commission must keep up the momentum and implement smarter, not less. More than 180 NGOs agree!

There is no turning back. Society needs certainty and nature can’t wait!

#WeHadADeal

Brussels, 4 November 2024

The political direction set by President von der Leyen and the early parliamentary debates reveal a concerning shift: tackling the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises is being deprioritised in favour of industry demands. With the Commissioners’ hearings approaching, the coming weeks will be critical for restoring the balance between the public good and corporate influence.

According to the new mission letters, all Commissioners must meet arbitrary ‘burden reduction’ targets and simplify legislation, posing the risk of delayed or weakened environmental action. It is not enough for this Commission to vaguely claim it will not deregulate environmental, public health and social standards. We demand clarity from President von der Leyen and her Commission on key issues:

  • No rollback of environmental, public health and social laws: President von der Leyen must make an unequivocal public commitment to uphold all existing environmental and climate EU laws and objectives, including those on sustainable finance and corporate accountability. We deplore the recent proposal by President von der Leyen to delay the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation and call on the European Parliament and all EU governments to reject the European Commission’s proposal.
  • Acknowledge the triple planetary crisis: Nature conservation and pollution reduction are quietly being sidelined in favour of a narrow focus on decarbonisation that fails to grasp the interconnectedness of the crisis. The urgent need to tackle pollution is now framed under a chemicals industry package aiming at simplifying the law, instead of better protecting citizens from harmful chemicals. All Commissioners must recognize that restoring and protecting nature, as well as reducing pollution, are integral parts of the solution to combat climate change. Addressing these challenges requires immediate, sustained action. Now is the time to accelerate, not retreat.
  • Support for Green Deal implementation: Businesses and stakeholders need legal certainty underpinned by a clear long term vision and effective regulations. The Commission must pledge to swiftly publish essential guidance documents for implementing newly adopted laws, and making digital safety information, permitting and digital reporting the norm – allowing tracking of progress and benchmarking of industry performance. Furthermore, the Commission should prioritise effective enforcement of environmental laws to ensure a level playing field, supported by necessary financial investments to bolster administrative capacities at all levels.
  • Balanced public participation: All public consultations must be carried in a way that ensures inclusivity of diverse views and avoids dominance by private influence over public interest [1]. In order to do so, particular attention must be paid to the voices of civil society organisations and their input must be routinely incorporated in upcoming dialogues and decision-making processes. Newly proposed mechanisms like ‘reality checks’ and ‘competitiveness checks’ should not be manipulated as tools for corporate lobbyists to hinder EU actions. The Commission must also resist using political ‘urgency’ as an excuse to bypass proper public scrutiny and adhere to its own Better Regulations guidelines to uphold transparency, consultations, and evidence-based decisions.
  • Collaboration across key policy areas: The Executive Vice-Presidents for Cohesion and Reforms, and for Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition, should be given clear guidance to collaborate effectively across key sectors—such as agriculture, transport, and fisheries—to ensure full alignment with green transition goals.
  • Firewalls between national interests and EU policy: Commissioners with previous ties to governments or political parties that opposed environmental regulations must be held accountable and rejected by the Parliament in case they are unable to dissociate themselves from earlier positions. Strong safeguards must be put in place to prevent conflicts of interest, for example in the application of forest and nature restoration rules.
  • Public money for proven climate solutions: The Commission must commit to allocate public funds solely to proven, cost-effective climate solutions. Unproven or expensive technologies should not receive the same level of financial and administrative support as established methods like nature-positive deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency and nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. Economic activities that allow the EU’s zero-pollution and biodiversity objectives to materialise should be prioritised through public funding.

Despite carefully crafted mission letters, President von der Leyen has openly admitted that the focus has shifted away from climate action and the European Green Deal. In the EU Parliament, her own political group is pushing to weaken democratically adopted regulations on critical issues such as forest protection, greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, and corporate accountability for human rights and environmental violations.

We call on President von der Leyen to address these critical gaps before the new European Commission assumes office, and we urge the European Parliament to raise these concerns during the upcoming Commissioner confirmation hearings.

Notes
[1] Recent reports show that fossil fuel lobbyists continue to benefit from an alarming level of access to the European Commission.

 

Download the list of signatories