EurEau, together with Copa-Cogeca and IFOAM Organics Europe, has sent a joint
pdf
letter
(142 KB)
to the President of the European Commission urging the EU to maintain the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme as agreed in the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (rUWWTD).
The EU Water Resilience Strategy and the Preparedness Union Strategy both highlight how essential secure, affordable, high-quality water and wastewater services are for citizens, businesses, and Europe’s food supply chain. The rUWWTD, which entered into force on 1 January 2025, strengthens this resilience by introducing new requirements to remove harmful micropollutants from wastewater.
A central element of the Directive is the EPR scheme, which requires pharmaceutical and cosmetics producers to cover at least 80% of the costs of new quaternary treatment processes. This ensures that those placing micropollutants on the European market bear the main responsibility for addressing their impacts.
However, recent discussions have put the EPR scheme into question. In our joint letter, we call on the Commission to protect the scheme in full, as weakening it would unfairly shift costs onto households, farmers, and food processors. Initial estimates suggest wastewater tariffs could rise by 15–50%, particularly harming rural communities served by smaller treatment plants and potentially increasing food prices.
Grounded in the polluter-pays principle of Article 191(2) TFEU, the EPR scheme offers a fair and balanced approach. It also applies to producers both inside and outside the EU, preventing competitive distortions.
EurEau, Copa-Cogeca and IFOAM firmly believe that maintaining the EPR scheme is essential for improving water quality, safeguarding aquatic ecosystems, and protecting Europe’s food value chain. We therefore urge the Commission to uphold this approach and ensure a timely, equitable and effective implementation of the rUWWTD.