The controversial draft Water Framework Directive, which proposes strict new water-quality standards across Europe, is in danger of being weakened irrevocably when EU ministers meet in Brussels later today, an environmental group has warned.
The draft document also underlines the principle of water charges for all users, a measure the Government is strongly resisting.
The environmental group Voice said yesterday it was imperative that binding targets be set for the reduction and elimination of discharges into fresh water.
The Council of Environment Ministers must set targets to be complied with by 2020, similar to the way limits were set for marine waters under the OSPAR convention last year, according to its spokeswoman, Ms Iva Pocock.
"At present, the draft directive does not set targets, and this threatens to seriously undermine the protection of not only European lakes and rivers, but also its seas."
Given the Government had hailed the OSPAR agreement as paving the way for "cleaner, safer waters", it would be ironic if it was now to support weaker targets for fresh water, she said.
"Our rivers and seas are inextricably connected. This directive offers an opportunity to clean up both. If this opportunity is not taken, the OSPAR agreement, of which the Government is so proud, will begin to look like empty political rhetoric."
The group is concerned that member-states are about to reduce what they consider to be "excessive target dates" in a proposal which, if adopted, would enable member-states to defer reaching quality-standard goals set in the legislation for 34 years.
"At present, derogations are possible for 100 per cent of European fresh water. This, to us, is totally unacceptable."
The European Commission has reiterated its view that it expects member-states, including Ireland, where most domestic users do not pay water charges, to fully apply the polluter-pays criteria to services such as water supply and landfill.
The Environment Commissioner, Ms Ritt Bjerregaard, this week presented a report to the Commission on ways to ensure polluters across the EU pay for the environmental damage they cause.
The issue of water charges is expected to arise later this year.
