The European Commission has launched an online public consultation as the first phase of the re-evaluation process for the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive – with a planned completion date of Q1 2019.

The latest figures show that 95% of the EU’s urban waste water is collected and over 85% is treated according to the Directive’s requirements. Introducing the evaluation, the Commission said:

“The implementation of the Directive remains challenging as it requires proper governance, significant investments and adequate competences.”

“In the 25 years of the Directive’s existence many changes have occurred……In addition, the ambition to create a European circular economy has taken concrete shape.”

The Commission has also highlighted the fact that the legal context has changed and new and interrelated water directives have come into force, in particular the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The evaluation will therefore be closely coordinated with the planned fitness check evaluating the performance of the WFD and the Floods Directive.

The evaluation will assess five criteria: effectiveness, coherence, efficiency, relevance, and EUadded value by analysing the Directive’s requirements and implementation in the last 25 years in the entire EU. Key questions the Commission is seeking comment on include:

• How far have the set objectives been achieved and to what extent is the intervention logic of the Directive still appropriate?
• To what extent are the provisions of the Directive translated into concrete, appropriate and clear requirements?
• What are the main barriers to full implementation?
• To what extent are the main targeted pollutants collected and treated in an effective way?
• To what extent is the Directive achieving the polluter pays principle?
• How well does the Directive promote a sustainable approach, for example for phosphorus and nitrogen recycling, for treatment plants to be neutral from energy/GHG emissions?
• To what extent are the main pollutants released by urban areas collected and treated?

The EC wants to assess whether the Directive has achieved the expected results in an efficient manner at both Member State and EU level, together with quantifying the costs and benefits associated with the implementation of the UWWTD and whether they are proportionate.

The evaluation will also seek to address the main financing, investment and management issues – including how compliance with the Directive impacts on the affordability of water services.

On relevance, the evaluation will focus on the following issues:

• To what extent is the UWWTD still relevant to achieve its objectives of the protection of the environment from the adverse effects of waste water discharges?
• To what extent are the limit values for pollutants still valid?
• To what extent does the directive encourage/facilitate innovation and adaptation?
• How are emerging pollutants covered by the Directive?
• To what extent is the Directive relevant to achieve a circular economy in the EU?
• How relevant is the Directive in the light of the changing international contexts, such as the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030?

Consultation of EU citizens and stakeholders

The Commission is planning to consult widely to obtain the views of the large spectrum of stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the Directive, including water service providers and utilities, environmental stakeholders, national, regional and local authorities, academics and scientists, as well as industries emitting pollutants.

Currently a range of consultation activities are under consideration which are expected to include:

• an on-line public consultation targeting the general public;
• a conference targeting stakeholders directly involved in the implementation of the Directive;
• specific expert meetings on sub-topics identified during the evaluation;
• direct contact or questionnaires to involve relevant stakeholders and international bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank or the World Health Organisation.

To assist the analysis, the Commission said:

“Particular effort will be made to collect additional information on the costs and benefits of collecting waste water and different levels of treatment and to assess administrative burden and the impact of funding mechanisms.”

The findings of the evaluation will feed into the Commission’s reflection on possible further action.

Deadline to submit responses to the online public consultation, which opened on 12 October 2017, is 9 November 2017. Click here to access the consultation.