New waste water treatment directive beneficial to the marine environment

Researchers at Stockholm University strongly support the EU Commission's ambition to strengthen the directive, they also stress the importance of including PFAS in the list of indicator substances.

Finally, in October 2022 the EU Commission released the long awaited proposal for a new urban waste water directive. Many actors have been pushing for a revision of this old directive from 1991 for a long time and finally it happens. The Commission suggests sharper rules for phosphorous and nitrogen treatment as well as advanced waste water treatment for environmental pollutants.

Researchers at Stockholm University Department of Environmental Science and the Baltic Sea Centre, have commented on the proposal. They strongly support the EU Commission's ambition to strengthen the directive, both regarding so called tertiary and quaternary treatments. They also stress the importance of including PFAS in the list of indicator substances.

Read the Stockholm University Department of Environmental Science’s and Baltic Sea Centre’s response to the European Commission proposal for a recast Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

Read the EU Commission Proposal for a revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

Meeting in Brussels

The proposal is now being discussed both at national and European level. The European Parliament has appointed Nils Torvalds, a Finnish MEP, as rapporteur. His report on the proposal will be released March 23rd. The Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre will meet with Torvalds in Brussels this week.