30/07/08
Last month MEPs voted in favour of the compromise text on the Priority Substances Directive. Water UK welcomes the move, which sets environmental quality standards for 33 substances, to protect surface waters.
Among the key provisions, member states are able to make use of mixing zones, so long as they do not affect compliance of the rest of the body of surface water; and control of substances in sediments and biota will be based on trend analysis.
The text also provides for the use of measures to control the substances at source. This is important to ensure a balanced approach to protection of surface waters.
Contact: Gaetane Suzenet
This article was first published in the stakeholder e-newsletter The View from Water UK
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