Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission
30.4.2025
The Commission’s impact assessment[1] accompanying its proposal for a recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD)[2] builds on the report ‘Feasibility of an extended producer responsibility system for micropollutants’[3], which is publicly available.
The methodology to estimate the potential ‘no effect concentration indicator’ value of 92% is explained in this report which includes all relevant sources.
The report uses the chemicals list — Total Pollution Proxy Substances — by Pistocchi et al. 2022[4] which is available in the published data. The methodology for compiling the list is explained in Chapter 2.
The recast UWWTD entered into force in January 2025. As envisaged therein, the Commission will prepare a number of implementing acts.
Producers can be exempted from extended producer responsibility obligations if they fulfil the conditions described in Article 9.2 of the directive.
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52022SC0541
- [2] Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 concerning urban wastewater treatment (recast), OJ L, 2024/3019, 12.12.2024.
- [3] Feasibility of an EPR system for micro-pollutants- Final report (070201/2020/837586/SFRA/ENV.C.2), 2022: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/14249cbc-5f1c-11ed-92ed-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
- [4] European scale assessment of the potential of ozonation and activated carbon treatment to reduce micropollutant emissions with wastewater, 2022:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722042218?via%3Dihub#s0080