Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Opportunity to protect our water resources

19.10.2020
EurEau welcomes the EU’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability including its toxic-free hierarchy, as published by the European Commission.
Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Opportunity to protect our water resources

Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Opportunity to protect our water resources. (Image source: EurEau)

If fully implemented, this strategy will support our move towards zero pollution and circular societies.

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

For this reason EurEau supports the extension of the generic risk management (GRA) for all chemical substances so that they are regulated according to the intrinsic hazards they pose.

Hazardous chemicals arrive in our surface and underground water resources through multiple pathways. Some compounds can still be detected decades after their withdrawal from the market and require expensive extra treatment by drinking water suppliers.

Furthermore, removing hazardous chemicals after their use phase, for example at waste water treatment plants, is neither effective nor sustainable. In particular, this applies to pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and PFAS.

Combination effects must be determined
EurEau supports efforts to determine and regulate the combination effects of priority chemicals and to include this in the authorisation process of chemicals. Close coordination between chemicals legislation and the Water Framework Directive is necessary so that the objectives of the latter are mainstreamed in all sectoral policies regulating chemicals.

PMT/vPvM substances must be regulated
EurEau calls for the swift definition of persistent, mobile and toxic, and very persistent and very mobile substances as categories of substances of very high concern under REACH. Their intrinsic properties pose serious long-term risks for drinking water resources while waste water treatment plants cannot remove them completely.

PFAS pollution requires group restriction
The rapidly increasing number of PFAS on the market requires a group approach to avoid the long-term pollution of our aquatic environment. Water suppliers will have to invest in very expensive and energy-intensive treatment methods to meet the strict PFAS parametric values stipulated in the new Drinking Water Directive if increased levels of PFAS are found in our drinking water sources. With this in mind, EurEau supports the PFAS Action Plan which should lead to the phase-out of all non-essential uses once these are defined, in line with Member States and the European Parliament demands.

They welcomes the initiative of the Commission and the competent authorities to develop a common definition of non-essential uses according to the Montreal Protocol.

Source: EurEau

More articles on this topic

ABB Publishes 2023 Integrated Report

28.02.2024 -

ABB recently published its Integrated Report, which is the company’s primary report at Group level. The report integrates the most important material information about the company’s strategy, business, governance as well as its financial and sustainability performance.

Read more

Wilo Recognized as Successful Practical Example in Comparative Study

07.02.2024 -

The Wilo Group has been recognised as a successful practical example in the international comparative study “Managing Sustainable Innovations”. For the study, the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen and the Complexity Management Academy analysed the sustainable innovation management of over 140 companies.

Read more