Bathing water quality in Europe

Infographic

Prod-ID: INF-27-en

Published 30 May 2017 Last modified 01 Jun 2017

Bathing water quality is improving in Europe. In 2016, the vast majority (85.5 %) of the more than 21,000 monitored bathing sites had excellent water quality. About two thirds of all monitored sites are by the coast and one third in inland rivers and lakes.

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Based on data

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

Related publication

European bathing water quality in 2016 Every summer, European holiday resorts fill up with tourists eager to enjoy the warmer weather and the beautiful natural surroundings of this diverse continent. For many, the summer vacation is synonymous with swimming in the sea or in a lake, so it is natural that water quality is an important factor in choosing a destination. To help citizens make informed choices, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission publish the annual European bathing water quality report. The information contained in this edition - which covers bathing water quality in 2016 in the EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland - indicates where good quality bathing water is likely to be found in 2017.

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Older versions

27 Jun 2016 - Bathing water quality in Europe

20 May 2015 - Excellent water quality at most of Europe's bathing sites

Geographic coverage

Albania , Austria , Belgium , Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , Netherlands , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom

Temporal coverage

2016

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/media/infographics/excellent-water-quality-at-most-2 or scan the QR code.

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Bathing water quality in Europe