What changed between the adopted text of 24 Apr 2024 and the adopted text of 26 Mar 2026

Removed:‘(24) ‘Good surface water chemical status’ means the chemical status required to meet the environmental objectives for surface waters set out in Article 4(1), point (a), of this Directive, that is the chemical status achieved by a body of surface water in which concentrations of pollutants do not exceed the environmental quality standards for priority substances listed in Part A of Annex I to Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council* and the environmental quality standards for river basin specific pollutants set in accordance with Article 8(2), point (c), and Article 8d(1) of that Directive.’

Removed:(b) point (30) is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘(30) ‘Priority substances’ means substances listed in Part A of Annex I to Directive 2008/105/EC, that is substances which present a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment in a high proportion of Member States.’; ’

Removed:(c) the following points (30a) and (30b) are inserted:

Removed:‘(30a) ‘Priority hazardous substances’ means priority substances which are marked as ‘hazardous’ on the basis that they are recognised in scientific reports, in relevant Union legislation, or in relevant international agreements, as being toxic, persistent and liable to bio-accumulate (PBT), or very persistent and very accumulative (vPvB), or persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) or very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) or as giving rise to an equivalent level of concern, where this concern is relevant to the aquatic environment, and for which measures need to be taken in accordance with Article 4 (1), point (a), point (iv). [Am. 57]

Removed:(30b) ‘River basin specific pollutants’ means pollutants that are not or no longer identified as priority substances but which Member States have identified, on the basis of the assessment of pressures and impacts on surface water bodies carried out in accordance with Annex II to this Directive, as posing a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment within their territory.;’

Removed:(d) point (35) is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘(35) ‘Environmental quality standard’ means the concentration of a particular pollutant or group of pollutants in water, sediment or biota not to be exceeded in order to protect human health and the environment or a trigger value for the adverse effect on human health or the environment of such a pollutant or group of pollutants measured using an appropriate and scientifically established effect-based method.’; [Am. 58]

Removed:* Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and control of surface water pollution, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directives 82/176/EEC, 83/513/EEC, 84/156/EEC, 84/491/EEC, 86/280/EEC and amending Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 84).;’

Removed:(da) point (37) is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘37. ‘Water intended for human consumption’ has the same meaning as under Directive (EU) 2020/2184.’ [Am. 59]

Removed:(db) in point (40), the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘40. ‘Emission limit values’ means the mass, expressed in terms of certain specific parameters, concentration and/or level of an emission, which may not be exceeded during any one or more periods of time. Emission limit values may also be laid down for certain groups, families or categories of substances, in particular for those identified in Annex I to Directive 2008/105/EC.’ [Am. 60]

Removed:(3) in Article 3, the following paragraph 4a is inserted:

Removed:‘4a. In the case of exceptional circumstances of natural origin or force majeure, in particular extreme floods and prolonged droughts, or significant pollution incidents, which could affect downstream water bodies situated in other Member States, Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities for downstream water bodies in such Member States, as well as the Commission, are immediately informed and that the necessary cooperation is set up to investigate the causes and address the consequences of the exceptional circumstances or incidents.;

Removed:Member States shall notify other Member States that could be adversely affected by the relevant pollution incident.

Removed:To further improve cooperation and information exchange in the international river basin districts, for all international river basin districts arrangements for emergency communication and response shall be put in place.’ [Am. 61]

Removed:(4) Article 4(1) is amended as follows:

Removed:(a) in point (a), point (iv) is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘(iv) Member States shall implement the necessary measures to progressively reduce pollution, discharges, emissions and losses from priority substances and river basin specific pollutants, and to cease or phase out emissions, discharges and losses of priority hazardous substances within an appropriate timeline and, in any case, not later than 20 years after a given priority substance is listed as hazardous in Part A of Annex I to Directive 2008/105/EC. That timeline shall apply without prejudice to the application of stricter timelines in any other applicable Union legislation;’ [Am. 62]

Removed:(b) in point (b)(iii), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘Measures to achieve trend reversal shall be implemented in accordance with Article 5 of Directive 2006/118/EC and Annex IV to that Directive, subject to the application of paragraphs 6 and 7 of this Article and without prejudice to paragraph 8 of this Article.;’

Removed:(ba) in point (c), the following subparagraph 1a is added:

Removed:‘Member States shall set stricter standards or threshold values if necessary to adequately protect the areas listed in Annex IV to this Directive, including special areas of conservation under Council Directive 92/43/EEC. Programmes and measures required in relation to such threshold values shall also apply to activities falling within the scope of Directive 91/676/EEC.’ [Am. 63]

Removed:(5) in Article 7, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘2. For each body of water identified under paragraph 1, in addition to meeting the objectives of Article 4 in accordance with the requirements of this Directive, for surface water bodies including the quality standards established at Union level, Member States shall ensure that under the water treatment regime applied, and in accordance with Union legislation, the resulting water will meet the requirements of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council*.

Removed:* Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, p. 1);’

Removed:(6) Article 8 is amended as follows:

Removed:(a) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘3. The Commission is empowered to adopt implementing acts to setdelegated acts in accordance with Article 20a supplementing this Directive by setting out technical specifications and standardised methods for analysis and monitoring of water status set out in accordance with Annex V. The Commission is empowered to adopt implementing acts and for establishing formats for reporting monitoring and status data in accordance with paragraph 4. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 21(2).;’ [Am. 64]

Removed:(aa) The following paragraph is added:

Removed:‘3a. By [two years after the entry into force of this Directive], the Commission shall publish a comprehensive assessment on the possible application of continuous, precise and real-time (online) pollution monitoring systems of water quality measurements, including economic and technical feasibility aspects of such systems relevant to the Member States, as well the use of harmonised standards.

Removed:The Commission shall, if appropriate, adopt an implementing act, in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 21(2), to set out harmonised standards for online water monitoring.”’ [Am. 65]

Removed:(b) the following paragraphs 4 and 5 are added:

Removed:‘4. Member States shall ensure that the available individual monitoring data collected in accordance with point 1.3.4 and 2.4.3 of Annex V and the resulting status in accordance with Annex V are made available to the public and to the European Environment Agency (EEA) and, without undue delay and in an easily accessible manner, to the public at least once a year electronically in a machine-readable format in accordance with Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council*, Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council** and Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council***. For those purposes, Member States shall use the formats established in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article. [Am. 66]

Removed:5. The EEA shall ensure that the information made available in accordance with paragraph 4 is regularly processed and analysed for the purpose of making it available, via relevant Union portals, for reuse by the Commission and relevant Union agencies and for the purpose of providing the Commission, the Member States and the public with up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information, in particular on status, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council****.

Removed:* Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC (OJ L 41, 14.2.2003, p. 26).

Removed:** Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) (OJ L 108, 25.4.2007, p. 1).

Removed:*** Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on open data and the re-use of public sector information (OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 56).

Removed:**** Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network (OJ L 126, 21.5.2009, p. 13);’

Removed:(7) Article 10 is amended as follows:

Removed:(a) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘2. For the purpose of complying with the objectives, quality standards and thresholds established pursuant to this Directive, Member States shall ensure the establishment and implementation of the following:

Removed:(a) emission controls based on best available techniques;

Removed:(b) relevant emission limit values;

Removed:(c) in the case of diffuse impacts, controls including, as appropriate, best environmental practices as set out in:

Removed:- Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council*;

Removed:- Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council**;

Removed:- Council Directive 91/271/EEC***;

Removed:- Council Directive 91/676/EEC****;

Removed:- any other Union legislation relevant for addressing point source or difuse pollution.

Removed:* Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 71).

Removed:** Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17).

Removed:*** Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment (OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40).

Removed:**** Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, (OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1).;’

Removed:(b) paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘3. Where a quality objective, quality standard or threshold, whether established pursuant to this Directive, to Directives 2006/118/EC or 2008/105/EC, or pursuant to any other Union legislation, requires stricter conditions than those which would result from the application of paragraph 2, more stringent emission controls shall be set accordingly.;’

Removed:(7a) Article 11(1) is replaced by the following:

Removed:‘1. Each Member State shall ensure the establishment for each river basin district, or for the part of an international river basin district within its territory, of a programme of measures, taking account of the results of the analyses required under Article 5, in order to achieve the objectives established under Article 4. Such programmes of measures shall prioritise source-control measures in accordance with relevant Union sectoral legislation on pollution. End-of-pipe measures shall be applied in addition to source control measures where there is a risk of source-control measures failing to achieve good status of the water bodies. Programmes of measures may make reference to measures following from legislation adopted at national level and covering the whole of the territory of a Member State. Where appropriate, a Member State may adopt measures applicable to all river basin districts and/or the portions of international river basin districts falling within its territory. The Commission shall develop guidance on best practices for source-control measures and the complementarity of end-of-pipe measures.’ [Am. 67]

Removed:(7b) Article 11(3), point (c) is replaced by the following: