Filenews 3 June 2022
More specifically, of the 120 bathing areas, 112 (93.3%) complied with the standards of 'excellent' bathing water. According to the European ranking:
- Austria (97.7%)
- Malta (96.6%)
- Greece (95.8%)
- Croatia (95.7%)
- Cyprus (93.3%)
- Denmark (91.9%)
- Germany (90.4%)
The proportion of areas with poor quality water in Europe has decreased since 2013. In 2021, 'poor' bathing waters accounted for 1.5 % of all areas in the EU, compared to 2 % in 2013. Insufficient quality is often due to short-term pollution. The report stresses that better assessment of pollution sources and the implementation of integrated water management measures can contribute to improving water quality.
The report shows that the quality of coastal areas, which make up two-thirds of all bathing areas, is generally better than that of inland areas. In 2021, 88 % of the EU's coastal bathing sites were classified as of excellent quality, compared with 78.2 % of the interior. Since the adoption of the Bathing Water Directive in 2006, the proportion of 'excellent' areas has increased and stabilised in recent years at around 88 % for coastal areas and 78 % for inland areas.
The evaluation provides a good indication of where bathers can find the best quality of bathing areas in the whole of Europe this summer. The evaluation, carried out by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, is based on the monitoring of 21 859 regions from across Europe. It covers EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland throughout 2021.
You can see the map in detail here.
