Data and maps

Write to us

For the public:

For media and journalists:

Contact EEA staff

Contact the web team

FAQ

Getting Europe's precious waters clean again: Protecting water from pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges that we face. In recent decades, major disasters like the Sandoz incident in 1986 demonstrated that pollution knows no frontiers and that strong EU actions and cooperation were needed. This detailed news report looks at the ways in which Europe’s determination to protect water in all its forms is achieving results. From the European quality of the drinking water, through the treatment of waste water, to protection of its rivers, coasts and lakes – over the last few decades it has developed an effective legislative arsenal. The aim of the European Union is for all the water on its territory to by in good status by 2015. Although challenges remain, results are obvious. For example, in 2000, the EU adopted a directive promoting trans-boundary co-operation and introducing the river basin management concept where the territory of the river as a whole is taken into account. And in terms of bathing water, since 1990, the number of bathing sites fulfilling the EU standards has increased by almost 30% to an impressive 90%.
Located in Environmental topics › Water › Multimedia
Bathing Water Directive - Status of bathing water: The EU Bathing Waters Directive requires Member States to identify popular bathing places in fresh and coastal waters and monitor them for indicators of microbiological pollution (and other substances) throughout the bathing season which runs from May to September
Located in Data and maps › Datasets
Share your information on bathing water quality: Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA, invites beachgoers to visit and contribute to the Eye on Earth interactive web map.
Located in Multimedia centre
Freshwater - State and impacts (Germany): SOER Common environmental theme from Germany
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Country assessments › Germany
Quality of bathing water — 2008 bathing season: Located in Publications
Percentage of European coastal bathing waters complying with mandatory values and meeting guide values of the Bathing Water Directive for the year 2010 by sea region: Sea regions arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values. EU Member States, Croatia and Montenegro. Five Member States (Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg and Slovakia) and Switzerland have no coastal bathing waters. The quality classes under the New Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) for Malta are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Coastal bathing water quality in the Western Balkans, 2005: Coastal bathing water quality in the Western Balkans, 2005
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Quality of bathing water — 2009 bathing season: Annual summary report of bathing water quality in EU Member States.
Located in Publications
Bathing water quality (CSI 022) - Assessment published Mar 2012: The quality of water at designated bathing waters in Europe (coastal and inland) has improved significantly since 1990. Compliance with mandatory values in EU coastal bathing waters increased from just below 80 % in 1990 to 92.1 % in 2010. Compliance with guide values likewise rose from over 68 % to 79.5 % in 2010. Compliance with mandatory values in EU inland bathing waters increased from 52 % in 1990 to 90.2 % in 2010. Similarly, the rate of compliance with guide values moved from 36.4 % in 1990 to 60.5 % in 2010.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Bathing water quality