Development of the First Watch List under the Environmental Quality Standards Directive

Abstract

According to Directive 2008/105/EC (the Environmental Quality Standards Directive, EQSD), a new mechanism is needed to provide high-quality monitoring information on the concentrations of polluting substances in the aquatic environment across the EU. The aim of this mechanism is to support the identification of priority substances for regulation under the Water Framework Directive. A restricted number of substances (up to 10) are to be included in a dynamic Watch List, remaining there for limited time. Three compounds, i.e. diclofenac, 17-beta-estradiol (E2), and 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) have already been identified for inclusion in the first Watch List, for the specific purpose of better informing the determination of suitable risk reduction measures. Therefore, up to seven additional substances should be identified for inclusion. This report describes the procedure to identify a short-list of substances, based on the suspected risk to or via the aquatic environment, as well as on the unavailability of sufficient monitoring data or data of sufficient quality to identify the risk posed by those substances, and to prioritise them at EU level. From the short-list, seven additional substances are proposed for inclusion in the first Watch List.