Drinking water: France again put on notice for not complying with the European directive

France has two months to "respond" and "remedy its failings." The European Commission has sent it a formal notice, after deciding to "open infringement proceedings," AFP learned on Friday, July 18. The reason: France has not correctly "transposed the directive on drinking water , " which establishes standards for its quality . Brussels sent the same letter to Ireland and Slovenia.

The overhaul of this regulation, which came into force in 2021, aims in particular to make tap water cleaner and protect human health. The quality standards have therefore been updated: pollutants of concern are targeted, such as endocrine disruptors and microplastics . Member states were required to transpose this directive by 12 January 2023.

This is still not the case for France. In its letter of formal notice, the Commission specifies that the shortcomings are linked to "the risk assessment of private distribution facilities, the monitoring of drinking water quality, and the mandatory information to be provided to the public." If France does not remedy the situation within the two-month deadline, Brussels could decide to issue reasoned opinions and then refer the matter to the Court of Justice.

But this is not the first time the Commission has warned the French government about this issue. It had already sent a letter of formal notice in October 2020 regarding the drinking water regulation, followed by a reasoned opinion in February 2023. The cause: excessively high nitrate concentrations compared to the limits set by the directive, which could pose a health hazard. The Commission subsequently considered that France's efforts to address these grievances were insufficient. It therefore initiated proceedings against France before the Court of Justice of the European Union in July 2024. It is clear that these actions have not been effective so far.

"We are conducting in-depth work on the roadmap for the protection of catchments, in order to sustainably improve the quality of drinking water," the Ministry of Ecological Transition defended itself to AFP. It assured that the main tools, including a decree defining sensitive sampling points and a guide for prefects, "are currently being developed." They should be "published by the end of 2025."