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Percentage of bathing water sample points complying with Guide values (C(G)) or complying with Mandatory values (C(I)) - 2003
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Percentage of European coastal bathing waters complying with mandatory values (or with at least sufficient quality) and meeting guide values (or with excellent quality) for the year 2011 by sea region
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Sea regions arranged by the percentage of compliance with mandatory values (or at least sufficient quality).
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) are jointed with compliance categories under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC).
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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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
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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).
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Percentage of inland bathing waters in the European Union per compliance category
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Trend in percentage of inland bathing waters in the European Union per compliance category
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Quality of bathing water — 2008 bathing season
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Publications
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Quality of bathing water — 2009 bathing season
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Annual summary report of bathing water quality in EU Member States.
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Publications
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Quality of bathing water — 2010 bathing season
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Annual summary report of bathing water quality in EU Member States. Detailed data are available via EEA WISE bathing water site.
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Publications
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Reported bathing waters in Europe per million inhabitants, reported inland bathing waters per 1 000 km2 and reported coastal bathing waters per 10 km of coastline
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Specific number of bathing waters per million inhabitants, per coastline and per land area
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Share your information on bathing water quality
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Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA, invites beachgoers to visit and contribute to the Eye on Earth interactive web map.
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Multimedia centre
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Sources of water pollution
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(Transcription of audio on video)
Water can be polluted from many sources. Faecal contamination from sewage makes water unpleasant and unsafe for recreational activities such as swimming, boating or fishing.
Many organic pollutants, including sewage effluent and farm and food-processing wastes consume oxygen, suffocating fish and other aquatic life. Nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates, from everything from farm fertilisers to household detergents, can 'overfertilise' the water causing the growth of large mats of algae, some of which are directly toxic. When the algae die, they sink to the water bottom, decomposing, consuming oxygen and damaging ecosystems.
Chemical contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides and some industrial chemicals can threaten wildlife and human health.
Sediment run-off from the land can make water muddy, blocking sunlight and, as a result, killing wildlife.
And irrigation, especially when used improperly, can bring flows of salts, nutrients and other pollutants from soils into water.
Source: SOER 2005
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Environmental topics
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Biodiversity
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Multimedia