The Rapporteur on the UWWTD, Nils Torvalds (Renew), published his draft report on the UWWTD, including more than 1400 amendments. Water Europe assessed them all and welcomed the integration of innovative instruments ensuring the implementation of the new UWWTD, the focus on circularity, and the need for a resource-oriented approach within the directive, as it advocated.

As a reminder, the Rapporteur released his opinion on the dossier last month, which stressed the need for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), in line with the joint statement co-signed by Water Europe on the polluter-pays principle within this legislation.

The shadow Rapporteur for Committee ENVI, Jean Huitema (Renew) also released an opinion letter on the dossier. He stressed out the opportunity to massively reuse treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation and recover critical nutrients such as phosphorus.

Water Europe is actively contributing to the debate on the UWWTD. Water Europe, as the management body of the MEP Water Group, organised a dinner on this legislative revision at the beginning of the month, in which EU policymakers and representatives from the water ecosystem were invited to bring their perspectives on wastewater management. They discussed energy efficiency within treatment plants, utilities’ gaps and opportunities, resource recovery, and the relevance of an EU water fund to finance these improvements in wastewater treatment plants.

Therefore, Water Europe stresses the once-in-a-generation opportunity to set up ambitious legislation that turns our urban wastewater treatment plants into energy-efficient resource hubs. This ambition demands new financial drivers, implementation tools, and innovative solutions.