Press Release: Bathing Water Report 2003: continued quality improvements in the EU15

The European Commission presented its annual report on the quality of Europe's bathing waters on 1 June 2004. Overall, the picture is good: bathing water quality in the EU15 continues to improve. The annual report is based on the requirements of the 1976 Bathing Water Directive and is issued every year before the summer holiday season to allow citizens to check the quality of the bathing water in their favourite holiday destinations. In 2003, 98.6% of the EU coastal bathing waters and 92.3% of all fresh waters complied with the Directive. This confirms the positive trends of recent years. Many Member States are now very close to full compliance with the quality standards and the monitoring requirements under the Directive. However, one worrying aspect remains: in some Member States, there is a tendency to ban bathing or declassify bathing sites when there are problems, rather than removing the source of pollution.

European Commission: DG Environment: Water: Bathing Water Quality Directive: Annual Report http://www.europa.eu/water/water-bathing/report.html

European Commission: DG Environment: Water: Bathing Water Quality Directive: Annual Report http://www.europa.eu/water/water-bathing/rep_downl.html

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