About this consultation
Consultation period
28 October 2021 – 20 January 2022 (midnight Brussels time)
Target audience
All citizens and stakeholders are welcome to express their views – more specifically respondents involved in or affected by the implementation of the bathing water directive: identification of bathing sites and/or monitoring and management of bathing sites and bathing water quality. This would include: EU Member States and their public authorities at national, regional and local level; economic actors such as associations and companies (tourism sector representatives, bathing site operators); water associations at European, national and regional level; international organisations, NGOs, academia, research and innovation organisations and institutes.
Why we are consulting
Since the 1970s, the EU has rules in place to safeguard clean bathing waters. These rules were updated and simplified through the 2006 Bathing Water Directive which, according to the annual reports on the quality of the bathing water, is generally well implemented by Member States. Nevertheless, experience from best practices in some Member States, as well as latest scientific and technological developments point to some areas for possible improvement. Also in light of the European Green Deal, the Directive needs to align with new environmental and climate ambitions. With this consultation, we would like to hear your opinions on the Directive, notably concerning possible shortcomings and issues of emerging concerns both for citizens, health and the environment. Your views will feed into the evaluation and impact assessment that will constitute the evidence base for a possible revision of the Directive.
Responding to the questionnaire
You can contribute to this consultation by filling in the online questionnaire. If you are unable to use the online questionnaire, please contact us using the email address below.
Questionnaires are available in some or all official EU languages. You can submit your responses in any official EU language.
For reasons of transparency, organisations and businesses taking part in public consultations are asked to register in the EU’s Transparency Register.
Respond to the questionnaire