Revision of the Drinking Water Directive

Chaired by:

Michel Dantin MEP

Rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Drinking Water Directive recast,
Chair of the “Water & Agriculture” Working Group of the EP Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development”

Keynote speech by:

Daniel Calleja Crespo

Director General of DG ENV, European Commission

Interpretation EN-FR

High quality, safe and sufficient drinking water is essential for our daily life. The EU has a history of over 30 years of drinking water policy, which ensures that water intended for human consumption can be consumed safely on a life-long basis.

The European Commission adopted on 1 February 2018 a proposal for a revised drinking water directive to improve the quality of drinking water and provide greater access and information to citizens. The proposal for modernizing the 20 year old drinking water directive (98/83/EC) comes as a result of the REFIT evaluation, the implementation of the Commission's response to the European Citizens' Initiative 'Right2Water' and as a contribution to meeting the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The proposal aims to improve water quality, safety, and access for all. It also aims to provide better access to information to consumers about the quality and supply of drinking water in their living area. This meeting will therefore gather policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss its revision, as the proposal will now be transmitted to the European Parliament for discussion and negotiation.