Critical raw materials are key to the green and digital transitions as well as to other EU priorities such as EU resilience and security. They are essential components of green technologies, are used in digital applications, and are crucial to the defence, aerospace and health industries. To secure a sustainable supply, the European Commission has had in place a dedicated strategy since 2008 and put forward an action plan in the 2020 Communication on Critical Raw Materials. Although the action plan is on track, the current context of growing global demand and increasing geopolitical instability creates the need for increased efforts.

EurEau welcomes this Guidance document on the impact of water treatment processes on residues of active substances, enshrining the European Commission's efforts to protect human health and the environment. The document outlines which environmental water residues have to be assessed, the identification of water treatment transformation products that are formed, and how to complete a risk assessment that includes the consumption of treated drinking water.

EurEau welcomes the introduction of new hazard classes in the CLP regulation (ED, PBT, vPvB, PMT and vPvM). The criteria for Mobility does not follow the UBA scientific opinion and we ask for more ambitious criteria on Mobility.

The CLP Regulation ensures that the hazards presented by chemicals are clearly communicated to workers and consumers in the European Union through classification and labelling of chemicals. 

The purpose of this survey is to collect proposals to adapt the annexes of the Fertilising ProductsThe purpose of this survey is to collect proposals to adapt the annexes of the Fertilising ProductsRegulation (EU) 2019/1009 (‘FPR’) to technical progress. In accordance with Article 42 FPR, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts.

You can read our table on the potential future of the CMC pdf here (157 KB) .

Nutrients are chemical compounds that are essential for life. The most common nutrients include nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Nutrients are found in soil, air and water, in agricultural fertilisers, in the food we consume and throw away as well as the sewage we produce. Human activities have significantly altered the natural processes which continuously cycle nitrogen and phosphorous in various (chemical) forms between different compartments of the environment. We consequently observe nutrient pollution that significantly affects public health, climate and the environment and at levels that exceed safe planetary boundaries. Nutrient pollution also has important economic consequences and puts at risk the sustainability of agriculture and fisheries in the EU.

The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) established a framework of environmental liability based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle, to prevent and remedy damage to land, water (surface, ground, transitional, coastal and marine waters), and biodiversity (species and natural habitats protected by the Birds and Habitats Directives).

Making operators financially liable for preventing and remedying environmental damage is intended to induce them to develop practices that minimise the risk that their activities will cause such damage.

In 2016, the European Commission published the first evaluation of the ELD. The Commission is now carrying out the second such evaluation. The evaluation will examine the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added-value of the ELD.

In the context of the ‘‘European Green Deal”, the European Commission adopted a comprehensive Farm to Fork Strategy[1], which recognises the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet and aims to address comprehensively the challenges of sustainable food systems. 

The current geopolitical situation and the objective to transition to a climate-neutral society by 2050, make it urgent to reuse the renewable and continuous supply of resources and energy which pass through our waste water systems. Waste water contains many valuable resources, most notably nutrients for fertilisers (nitrogen and phosphorus), water and energy. These valuable resources can be recovered and reused, making a significant contribution to the circular economy. 

A robust EU Strategy can put in place legislation that will protect our water resources 

In line with article 191.2 of the TFEU, any sustainable chemicals strategy must start from control-at-source measures and apply the Precautionary Principle.

European waste water service providers see the revision of the 1991 Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) as an opportunity to develop an ambitious, innovative, supportive and straight-forward new policy framework enabling operators to meet the Green Deal goals and make waste water collection, treatment and management fit for the decades to come.