Directive 2006/7 / EC (Bathing Water Directive)

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Directive 2006/7 / EC

Title: Directive 2006/7 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of February 15, 2006 on the quality of bathing water and its management and repealing Directive 76/160 / EEC
Designation:
(not official) 		Bathing Water Directive
Scope: EU
Legal matter: Environmental law , public health
Basis: Article 175 paragraph 1 of the EC Treaty
Procedure overview: European Commission
European Parliament
IPEX Wiki
Come into effect: March 24, 2006
Replaces: Directive 76/160 / EEC
To be
implemented in national law by: 		March 24, 2008
Implemented by: Germany
Baden-Württemberg
Bathing Water Ordinance
Bavaria
Bavarian Bathing Water Ordinance
Berlin
Bathing Water Ordinance
Hamburg
Bathing Water Ordinance
Lower Saxony
Bathing Water Ordinance
North Rhine-Westphalia
Bathing Water Ordinance
Rhineland-Palatinate
Bathing Water Ordinance
Schleswig-Holstein
Bathing Water Ordinance
Austria
Bathing Water Ordinance
Reference: OJ L 64 of 4.3.2006, pp. 37-51
Full text Consolidated version (not official)
basic version
The regulation must have been implemented in national law.
Please note the information on the current version of legal acts of the European Union !

Warning of health risks from polluted water in the Bärensee nature reserve near Kaufbeuren

The EU Directive 2006/7 / EC , also known as the Bathing Water Directive, is a European Community directive that stipulates the minimum requirements for the quality of bathing water and its management for the member states.

The correct German description of the directive is DIRECTIVE 2006/7 / EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of February 15, 2006 on the quality of bathing water and its management and repealing directive 76/160 / EEC . The term Bathing Water Directive or EU Bathing Water Directive is common.

Scope and history

The directive only applies to bodies of water that have not been artificially separated from the aquifer. It is therefore not used in swimming ponds . The term EU bathing water is used for bathing areas that are registered as official bathing areas in the EU and where, by definition, a large number of bathers can be expected. They are therefore subject to the provisions of this directive or the corresponding laws of the member state.

The new version of the guideline was necessary because since the publication of the previous guideline (guideline 76/160 / EEC) there have been findings regarding the necessary microbiological properties and more precise and specific test methods are available. The parameters Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci were introduced as indicators of faecal pollution of the bathing water. Furthermore, so-called bathing water profiles are to be drawn up by the responsible authorities. In doing so, all factors must be taken into account that have an adverse effect on the bathing water, e.g. B. the discharge of sewage or the occurrence of blue-green algae . Also new in the current version is that the member states must take management measures to improve water quality in accordance with the Water Framework Directive . The obligation to inform the public about bathing water quality and possible health risks are also anchored in the directive.

Investigation procedure

The microbiological test method is usually based on the MPN method for the parameters Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci . Evidence of these germs is an indication that pollution of the bathing water by faeces has taken place or is taking place.

Determination of the bathing water quality

Signs at the Wendebach reservoir near Göttingen with hazard warnings and information on the quality of the bathing water

On the basis of the results of the past four bathing seasons, but at least 16 samples, the quality is determined with the help of a percentile calculation , differentiated between inland waters and coastal or transitional waters:

Inland waters

parameter Excellent quality Good quality Sufficient quality
Intestinal enterococci 200 * 400 * 330 **
Escherichia Coli 500 * 1000 * 900 **

(*) Based on a 95th percentile assessment. (**) Based on a 90th percentile assessment.

Coastal and transitional waters

parameter Excellent quality Good quality Sufficient quality
Intestinal enterococci 100 * 200 * 185 **
Escherichia Coli 250 * 500 * 500 **

(*) based on a 95th percentile assessment, (**) based on a 90th percentile assessment

Bathing water profiles

The bathing water profile includes

  • a description of the relevant physical, geographical and hydrological properties of the bathing water and other surface water in the catchment area of ​​the bathing water concerned that could be a source of pollution;
  • an identification and assessment of all causes of pollution that could affect bathing water and the health of bathers;
  • an assessment of the risk of mass reproduction of cyanobacteria ;
  • an assessment of the risk of mass reproduction of macroalgae and / or phytoplankton ;
  • Information, provided there is a risk of short-term pollution, with regard to the type, frequency and duration of the expected short-term pollution, as well as information on other causes of pollution including measures taken to eliminate them;
  • the location of the monitoring point.

Informing the public

The public must be informed immediately and without delay about the quality of the bathing water. This is possible on the one hand via electronic media (internet), on the other hand this information must be available at every EU bathing area. It also contains information of a general nature, for example about the occurrence of blue-green algae or cercariae , as well as a description of the risk of short-term pollution, for example in connection with heavy rain, including a forecast of the duration of the pollution. The details of the contact details of the responsible supervisory authority (usually the health authorities ) must also be provided.

Problems in implementation

Difficulties can arise if the objective of the EU directive collides with legal practice in individual countries. The EU directive in Article 1 (2) aims to "preserve and protect the environment, improve its quality and protect human health", which allows the conclusion that those waters should be monitored many people bathe. However, country-specific definitions regionally can mean that bathing can very easily be banned on paper and consequently no monitoring takes place at lakes where many people swim.

For example, according to the state water laws in Hesse , Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, bathing in stagnant waters is not generally permitted and a corresponding official bathing ban on a heavily frequented bathing lake is easy to pronounce. These bans are not enforced, but since a lake with a bathing ban is not defined as a bathing lake according to Article 1 (3) of the EU Directive, this means that the authorities turn to heavily frequented bathing lakes such as the Cluvenhagener See near Verden or the Rosdorfer Baggersee near Göttingen can withdraw the implementation of the directive. In some places, the cost savings resulting from this are cited directly as the reason for such bans.

Web links

The EU Bathing Water Directive was implemented in Germany on the basis of individual national regulations in order to meet the various requirements in terms of climate and geography. Here is a selection of the state regulations:

In Austria, however, a federal ordinance applies

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ordinance on the quality and management of bathing waters (GV.NRW. 2008, p. 138)
  2. ↑ Bathing Water Directive (PDF; 431 kB)
  3. ↑ StadtRadio Göttingen, August 8, 2014
  4. ↑ the daily newspaper, June 21, 2014
  5. ↑ Ordinance on maintaining public security in the municipality of Friedland , Lower Saxony (advice and resolution in the municipal council on June 5, 2014)