Targeted REACH revision on the Commission’s agenda for Q4 2025
The Commission released its 2025 work programme on 12 February. The work programme lists the new initiatives (including legislative and non-legislative initiatives), pending files and planned withdrawals for this year. In the wake of the Competitiveness compass, published on 29 January, over half of the 45 new initiatives aim to support EU’s competitiveness (12 initiatives) and simplify the regulatory environment (11 initiatives). The targeted revision of the REACH Regulation, which is also considered as a simplification initiative, is planned for the end of the year (Q4 2025). Among non-legislative initiatives, the European Water Resilience Strategy is planned for Q2 2025.
ENVI Committee’s draft report stresses importance of addressing water pollution to achieve water resilience
The Environment Committee’s rapporteur for the European Parliament’s own initiative report on the European Water Resilience Strategy issued its draft report on 29 January. The report states that ‘addressing pollution is equally essential to achieving water resilience’ as is water efficiency. The report calls for better implementation and enforcement of the current EU water policy framework, calls on the Commission to ‘establish comprehensive EU-wide quality standards for PFAS totals in groundwater and surface water’, stresses the need to address pollution from pharmaceuticals and other emerging pollutants and to better monitor pesticide residues in water. The report also asks the Commission to create a dedicated fund for water resilience in the upcoming multi-annual financial framework and calls for a wider application of the cost recovery principle. The draft report will be discussed in the ENVI Committee next month and is expected to be adopted early April 2025.
Call for evidence on the European Water Resilience Strategy
The Commission has launched a call for evidence to inform the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy on 4 February. As previously announced, the strategy focuses on restoring and protection the broken water cycle, ensuring clean and affordable water and sanitation for all and promoting a competitive EU water industry and a clean, water-wise and circular economy. The Strategy will address five action areas: governance and implementation, infrastructure, finance and investments, security, and industry, innovation and education. The Strategy will take the form of a Communication, expected to be published in Q2 2025. In addition to the Call for Evidence, a stakeholder consultation event will be held on 6 March in Brussels.
Upcoming consultation deadlines:
- Deadline to provide feedback to the call for evidence on the European Water Resilience Strategy: 4 March 2025.
More information of upcoming actions related to persistent and mobile substances
For more information of regulations under the regulatory watch, as well as a Gantt Chart of the roll out, continuously updated spreadsheet and more information, please visit https://zeropm.eu/regulatory-watch/