More than 600 scientists and scientific organizations have signed a declaration in support of updating the European Union’s water pollution standards, now published on the European Freshwater Science Society (EFFS) website. Coordinated by the European Environmental Bureau, the declaration highlights the growing impact of chemical pollution on aquatic ecosystems and human health, and calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Member States to uphold the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), particularly the principle of non-deterioration.
CESAM, represented by its Director, Amadeu Soares, joined over 600 scientists and organizations in signing the declaration, which stresses that freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened on the planet, with an 85% decline in species populations since 1970, and that less than half of Europe’s water bodies are currently in good ecological status.
“We reaffirm our commitment to science and to policies that ensure water quality and the preservation of biodiversity, while recognizing the direct impacts of pollution on human health under the One Health framework,” stated Amadeu Soares, Director of CESAM.
The declaration comes at a critical moment: on 23 September, representatives of European institutions will meet to try to reach an agreement on the European Commission’s proposal, presented nearly three years ago, to update the list of pollutants to be monitored. These include additional pesticides, certain PFAS, and— for the first time—pharmaceuticals, as well as the introduction of modern monitoring techniques.
Despite progress, scientists and citizens remain concerned that some Member States may attempt to weaken the legislation, allowing short-term negative impacts and delaying implementation deadlines, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the update. There are fears that exceptions to the non-deterioration principle could be introduced, enabling declines in water quality in situations such as sediment displacement or water body transfers.
According to the signatories, delaying measures will lead to environmental, social, and economic costs far greater than those required to strengthen monitoring and implement new control techniques. Investment in prevention is considered “negligible” compared to the escalating costs of biodiversity loss, drinking water contamination, human exposure to pollutants, and remediation actions.