Recently approved EU legislation pushes the progress: New micropollutants identified as priority substances

After a lengthy political process, the European Union has adopted Directive (EU) 2026/805, updating key EU water pollution rules by amending the Water Framework Directive, the Groundwater Directive and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive. The directive expands and revises the list of pollutants relevant for surface water and groundwater, introduces stricter standards for several substances and reinforces monitoring obligations, including for pharmaceuticals, PFAS and other micropollutants of growing concern.

Among the 70 surface water priority substances listed in Annex VI of Directive 2026/805 are pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, and clarithromycin, as well as hormones, such as 17α-ethinylestradiol and estrone. Furthermore, carbamazepine, primidone, and sulfamethoxazole are identified as priority substances for groundwater. Legally binding environmental quality standards have been established for each of these compounds. Notably, this marks the first time pharmaceuticals have been listed as priority water pollutants at the EU level.

The revised rules will require Member States to adapt national legislation, monitoring approaches and water quality assessments in the coming years. This makes it increasingly important to connect updated water pollutant standards with practical wastewater management decisions. Revisions to pollutant lists and environmental quality standards are not isolated changes: they also influence how wastewater discharges are assessed in receiving waters and which wastewater treatment plants may require additional measures.

This recent development highlights how political progress shapes the need for flexible solutions and tools, such as those provided by APRIORA. Environmental protection agencies in charge of implementing, e.g., new substances into the risk assessment can adapt the APRIORA tool inputs directly and evaluate potential risks in water bodies à priori. Combined with simple mitigation scenarios, such as upgrading WWTP with quaternary treatment or redirecting discharges to less vulnerable environments, APRIORA supports authorities in prioritising actions to achieve good water quality status across entire catchments.

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