Changes between two versions
What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text
AI:What changed, in short
Adds provisions on food sovereignty, access to water, and nutrient management, including a call to revise the Nitrates Directive.247 Adds support for agricultural water technologies, desalination, and natural water reserves, and stresses farmers' efforts.5813 Tightens PFAS standards and essential-use exemptions, and adds a call for an impact assessment on the pharmaceutical sector.91012 Adds a call for safe phosphorus recovery and investments in circular nutrient management.6 The other changes are formal: decimal separators, renumbering, and a regulation reference.1311
10 changes of substance · 3 formal · 0 of wording only
Written by AI from the two texts only · read the changes before relying on it · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations and punctuation-only edits are left out; they are under “Every difference”.
Changes of substance · 10
Change 2 Substance
AI summary:Adds a recital linking global population growth to increased food production and EU food sovereignty under Article 39 TFEU.
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Added:S. whereas global population growth requires increased food production, and the EU must guarantee food sovereignty, as laid down in Article 39 TFEU;
Change 4 Substance
AI summary:Adds a paragraph stressing that no one should be denied access to water from a distribution network for human consumption where available.
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Added:11. Stresses that no one, whether in public places or private establishments, should be denied access to water supplied from a distribution network intended for human consumption, where available;
Change 5 Substance
AI summary:Adds text stressing that food production must not be compromised, and calls for smart irrigation systems and water reuse.
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Changed:14.15. Calls for a legislative framework setting sectoral water efficiency and water abstraction targets at basin level, based on up-to-date assessments of water availability and climate risks, including a water valuation approach that accounts for ecosystem services and long-term sustainability, and covering all water uses, including industry, energy, agriculture, public institutions and households; underlines the fact that these targets should be ambitious yet adaptable, taking into account the specific circumstances and progress already achieved by each Member State to ensure continued efforts towards efficiency gains across all regions; stresses the importance of efficient and uniform data collection practices across the Member States and all sectors, including through the use of innovative technologies, as well as real-time data collection points for more transparency on water consumption; emphasises the need to carry out an appropriate assessment of the environmental and socio-economic impacts of water use; stresses that the strategic importance of food production must not be compromised; emphasises that science, research and technology are important for water efficiency and water use as well as for the circular economy in this regard; calls for the creation and promotion of new smart and high-performance irrigation systems, rainwater retention and water from reuse, as well as water-efficient irrigation systems;
Change 6 Substance
AI summary:Adds text recalling that nutrients are essential for food production and calls for safe phosphorus recovery and investments.
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Changed:23.24. RecommendsRecalls that the use of nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate is essential for food production, as this activity would not be possible without their use; recommends better consideration of the nutrient cycle in agricultural production and the exploitation of the value in urban wastewater; calls for more research into the effective use of nutrients and the development of nutrient recovery technologies, in order to decrease the Union’s dependence on imported raw materials; recognises the high potential for nutrient recovery from water and calls on the Member States to support the agricultural sector to optimise their nutrient consumption including by using resources (nitrate and phosphorus) recovered from wastewater treatment plants; calls on the Commission to propose an integrated nutrient management action plan to effectively address loss of valuable agricultural inputs, recycling of nutrients, nutrient pollution and inefficiencies in the nutrient cycle; calls for the proper and safe recovery of phosphorus from organic sources and for incentivising investments in its recovery and circular nutrient management in accordance with the Commission’s JRC publication;
6 more changes of substance
Change 7 Substance
AI summary:Adds a paragraph calling for urgent review and revision of the Nitrates Directive to promote circular nutrient management.
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Added:25. Stresses that the current Nitrates Directive is due for revision, as outdated provisions promote the use of artificial fertilisers rather than organic manure; calls for an urgent review of the Nitrates Directive before the end of this year, and its revision to promote circular nutrient management;
Change 8 Substance
AI summary:Adds a paragraph acknowledging farmers' efforts and timeframes, and narrows the EIP-AGRI reference to the Agroforestry focus group.
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Removed:26. Points to the success of the agricultural European Innovation Partnership EIPAGRI and calls for the continuation of knowledge exchange, expertise and peer-to-peer learning via the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Network;
Added:28. Acknowledges the significant efforts made by farmers to enhance water quality and emphasises the need for an appropriate timeframe to allow the effects of these measures to be accurately assessed;
Added:29. Points to the success of the agricultural European Innovation Partnership EIPAGRI Focus Group Agroforestry and calls for the continuation of knowledge exchange, expertise and peer-to-peer learning via the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Network;
Change 9 Substance
AI summary:Changes from a single comprehensive EU-wide quality standard for PFAS totals to comprehensive EU-wide quality standards for PFAS.
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Changed:41.44. Calls for the establishment of a comprehensive EU-wide quality standardstandards for PFAS totals in groundwater and surface water; stresses that respective updates of the relevant directives are essential for safeguarding water quality and achieving good chemical status for water bodies as mandated under the WFD;
Change 10 Substance
AI summary:Rewords essential uses of PFAS to specify critical sectors and adds a call to scale up investments in alternatives.
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Changed:42.45. Insists that essential uses of PFAS,PFAS forin examplecritical forsectors, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals and products necessary for the twin transition to a climate neutrality,neutral and digital economy, are not endangered;endangered in the context of upcoming legislative and non-legislative proposals; calls on the Commission to propose to phase out forever chemicals (PFAS) in– starting with consumer goods with– provenlinked concernsto forharmful effects on human health and the environment, andbased onlyon scientific evidence, allowing their use where there are no safe alternatives; underlines the need to scale up investments and accelerate the research and development of equivalent and safe alternatives;
Change 12 Substance
AI summary:Adds a call for a new comprehensive impact assessment on the pharmaceutical sector regarding micropollutant costs.
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Changed:49.52. Recalls that the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, in effect since 1 January 2025, imposes new obligations regarding water purification, requiring pharmaceutical and cosmetic producers to cover at least 80 % of the costs of removing micropollutants from wastewater, with the aim of reducing harmful substances in the environment; notes the existence of differing figures and assessments regarding the impact this would have on the pharmaceutical sector and, consequently, on the availability and affordability of medicines, and therefore calls on the Commission to conduct a new and comprehensive assessment of the impact on this sector;
Change 13 Substance
AI summary:Adds support for agricultural technologies, water retention, groundwater recharge, and desalination research, and insists on natural water reserves.
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Changed:68.71. CallsInsists that the agricultural sector be further supported in implementing new technologies to reduce the demand for water, while at the same time increasing access to water, including by supporting water retention and groundwater recharge; calls for research results, for example on seawater desalination, to be made accessible and to facilitate the deployment of innovative desalination solutions; calls on the Member States to create natural water reserves based on up-to-date assessments of climate risks to protect critical water supplies and their catchments, and taking into consideration the environmental and socio-economic impact of developing such reserves; points out that such natural water reserves would complement the WFD’s requirement for Member States to identify water bodies used for drinking water abstraction, making sure they meet the objectives set out in Article 4 WFD and in the Drinking Water Directive, and would ensure their necessary protection; notes that such natural water reserves already exist under different forms in various Member States; stresses that assistance should be given to Member States or local and regional governments to help them develop natural water reserves;
3 formal changes: legal basis, citations, references, corrections
Change 1 Formal
AI summary:Changes decimal separator from period to comma in the percentage figure.
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Changed:B. whereas water is a scarce and limited resource and, while 70 % of the earth’s surface is water-covered, available and usable fresh water accounts for only 0.50,5 % of water on earth; whereas mountains are real water towers and important freshwater reservoirs in Europe, the Alps alone providing 40 % of Europe’s fresh water;
Change 3 Formal
AI summary:Renumbers recital and changes decimal separator from period to comma in the spending target.
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Changed:BA.BB. whereas the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) includes an ambitious but non-binding target of dedicating at least 7.57,5 % of annual EU spending to the biodiversity objectives in 2024 and 10 % in both 2026 and 2027; whereas the new financial framework should incorporate a water perspective with a view to allocating sufficient resources to the future EWRS in order to ensure resilient water ecosystems and infrastructure, and security of water supply, and to facilitate investments in innovative solutions;
Change 11 Formal
AI summary:Corrects the regulation reference from (EU) to (EC) No 1935/2004.
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Changed:48.51. Calls on the stakeholders to develop safe water contact materials, to substitute BPA and other bisphenols and ensure compliance with Regulation (EU)(EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and the recently adopted provisions as regards the use of BPA and other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives (Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190);