Directive 2000/60/EC establishes a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. That framework involves the identification of priority substances amongst those that pose a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment at Union level. Directive 2008/105/EC lays down Union-wide EQS for the 45 priority substances previously listed in Annex X to Directive 2000/60/EC and eight other pollutants that were already regulated at Union level before that Annex was introduced by Decision No 2455/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. Directive 2006/118/EC lays down Union-wide groundwater quality standards for nitrates and for active substances in pesticides and criteria for establishing national threshold values for other groundwater pollutants. It also sets out a minimum list of 12 pollutants and indicators of pollution for which Member States are required to consider establishing such national threshold values. The groundwater quality standards are set out in Annex I to Directive 2006/118/EC.
Text as published in the Official Journal, reproduced verbatim (including any typographical quirks of the source). For the authentic version, see EUR-Lex.
