Aeas.es

EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF WATER AND WASTE WATER SERVICES
For immediate release: 31 January 2012
Contact Person: Marta Gomez, +32 491 050 893
Water utilities welcome the EC proposal to
Brussels, 31 January 2012 // Today, the European Commission (EC) has released a proposal to add 15
chemicals to the list of 33 pollutants that are monitored and controlled in EU surface waters. This will be
achieved through a revision of the The
Commission announces that the proposed substance are the result of a review analyzing the risks
caused by some 2000 substances according to their levels in surface waters, and their hazardousness,
production and use.
“EUREAU welcomes this proposal and supports the activities of the EC regarding the priority
substances”, comments Carl-Emil Larsen, President of EUREAU. “EUREAU and its members emphasize
that for the reduction of these substances in surface water and drinking water, the focus should be put on
source control and on strong control on the admission and use of these substances.”
EUREAU is concerned about the existence and the use of persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic
substances in households, services and industries. EUREAU is also concerned about the emerging
pollutants (e.g. as pharmaceuticals1) that may enter drinking water supply areas and urges of better
protection of those from harmful pollutants. Water operators have worked for a long time to improve
the quality of sludge and effluent by contributing actively to the control at source work and applying
national and local restrictions to emissions from industries and services to the sewerage network.
However, a coherent and holistic chemical legislation in the EU is the need.
The proposed 15 additional priority substances are:
 Plant protection product substances: Aclonifen, Bifenox, Cypermethrin, Dicofol, Heptachlor,  Substances used in biocidal products: Cybutryne, Dichlorvos, Terbutryn;  Industrial chemicals: Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD);  Combustion by-products: Dioxin and Dioxin-Like PCBs;  Pharmaceutical substances: 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), Diclofenac. (Included for the first time in the list). EUREAU Joint Working Group on Priority Substances will continue working to identify dangerous pollutants and assessing their risks on the aquatic environment and human health. 1 EUREAU position paper on Emerging Pollutants in Drinking Water (June 2011). EUREAU AISBL · RUE DU LUXEMBOURGSTRAAT 47-51 · 1050 BRUSSELS · BELGIUM T +32 2 706 40 80 · F +32 2 706 40 81 · [email protected] · WWW.EUREAU.ORG  EUREAU is the European Federation of National Associations of Water and Wastewater Services. Our members provide sustainable water services to more than 400 million people in Europe. They reflect the full diversity of the European water services sector and represent public, private and mixed operators. As the focus point of a European water network, EUREAU represents a unique concentration of technical, scientific and managerial knowledge and practical experience in water services and is the voice of water and wastewater operators in Europe  adopted in June 2011;  adopted in October 2010;  European Commission Press Released

Source: http://www.aeas.es/documentos/20120131_priority_substances.pdf