environmental quality standards

Close to sources of pollution, it will take longer to meet the environmental quality standards.

Environmental quality standards in the field of water policy (debate)

Madam President, I welcome this report on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy.

Chemical quality that refers to environmental quality standards for river basin specific pollutants.

I shall now turn to the Commission proposal for a directive on environmental quality standards for priority substances.

The system of environmental laws has led to the setting of environmental quality standards and emission discharge levels.

As you know, the Water Framework Directive provides for an approach linking emission controls and environmental quality standards.

Today the European Parliament is to decide at second reading on the proposed directive on environmental quality standards for priority substances in surface water.

I therefore wish to draw attention to a number of those aspects of the Commission's proposal concerning environmental quality standards that we must get to grips with.

Madam President, I am pleased to note that the amendments under discussion are supportive of the proposed environmental quality standards as put forward by the Commission.

The directive on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy is now the last major daughter instrument to the Water Framework Directive.

In total, 33 pollutants (mainly pesticides and heavy metals) found in rivers, lakes and coastal waters will be subject to environmental quality standards.

Environmental consequences, such as emissions, discharges and noise are subjected to the environmental quality standards like air quality and emission standards.

I therefore warmly welcome the introduction of the Environmental Quality Standards, which will become binding on all 27 EU Member States.

This proposal for a daughter directive aims, by establishing environmental quality standards, to guarantee a high level of protection against the risks that certain substances pose to the aquatic environment.

Opposition to deregulation may usually involve apprehension regarding environmental pollution and environmental quality standards (such as the removal of regulations on hazardous materials), financial uncertainty, and constraining monopolies.

My first comment is about cases in which compliance with environmental quality standards in a Member State is technically unattainable or gives rise to disproportionate costs, both socially and economically.

I remain fully committed to recovering unclaimed beverage container deposits. . . . We must also preserve D.E.C.'s ability to enforce the state's other environmental quality standards effectively.

Mr President, the water framework directive will protect all our waters and improve the quality of the environment, for example through environmental quality standards, mandatory participation by civil society and tackling pollution at source.

I voted in favour of this text, which sets out the environmental quality standards for priority substances and certain other pollutants in order to ensure a high level of protection for the aquatic environment.

We have therefore proposed to allow the Member States the option of establishing transitional areas, but with the obligation of reducing these areas in order to reach the environmental quality standards in the long term.

This confirms that there are ways of strengthening integration and, as a result, establish environmental quality standards at a cost which will not affect European competitiveness, which is an issue that should always be taken into account.

The Member States may designate - as the rapporteur said - mixing zones, where concentrations of chemical substances may exceed the relevant environmental quality standards under certain circumstances, but of course they will have to reach and be monitored with great care.

Madam President, I am pleased to open this debate on the proposal on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, which complements the Water Framework Directive, which is the centrepiece of water protection for the European Union.