On 2 December, following three rounds of inter-institutional “trilogue” negotiations, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the final text of the Regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse (also enclosed). This agreement allows for greater flexibility to adapt to national and regional requirements.
- The agreement provides flexibility for Member States and regions to decide on the viability of water re-use in their country or in parts of their country, considering environmental and climatic conditions;
- The agreement focuses mainly on the re-use conditions of water for agricultural purposes, but allows Member States to also use reclaimed water for industrial uses and other amenity purposes (such as landscape irrigation);
- It contains requirements on the quality of water and monitoring conditions, with the objective of protecting human health and the environment;
- It contains clauses on the need of raising awareness in countries where reclaimed water is being used;
- It empowers the Commission to review the minimum requirements and the power to adopt implementing acts in view of scientific and technological progress.
- It leaves three years to the Member States to apply it (once the EU adoption procedure has formally been completed)
Further information can be found in the press release issued by the EU Council.
Photo
