Minimum requirements for water reuse

2018/0169(COD)

The European Parliament adopted at second reading, in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, a legislative resolution on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on minimum requirements for water reuse.

Following the recommendation for second reading by its Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Parliament approved the Council position at first reading without amendment. The Council position at first reading reflects the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council in the framework of the interinstitutional negotiations at the early second reading stage.

The proposed Regulation aims to ensure that reclaimed water is safe for agricultural irrigation, thereby:

- ensuring a high level of protection of the environment and human and animal health,

- promoting the circular economy,

- supporting adaptation to climate change and

- contributing to a coordinated response across the Union to the problems of water scarcity and the resulting pressure on water resources and thus contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market.

The proposal defines harmonised minimum requirements for water quality to ensure the safe reuse of treated urban waste water in agricultural irrigation. In order to be used in agriculture, such water, which has already undergone some treatment under the rules of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, would need to undergo additional treatment to meet the minimum quality parameters. 

Parliament took note of a Commission statement (annexed to the legislative proposal) in which it acknowledges that microplastics are substances of emerging concern in relation to water quality. In the light hereof and considering that this is a general issue not limited to reclaimed water only, the Commission undertakes to pursue its efforts to further address this important issue.