Europe’s bathing waters have been deemed largely safe for swimming, according to the latest assessment by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission. The report for the 2024 bathing season reveals that over 85% of monitored sites met the EU’s highest ‘excellent’ quality standards, while 96% complied with minimum standards.
The assessment covers more than 22,000 bathing sites across all EU Member States, Albania, and Switzerland. In Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, and Croatia, at least 95% of bathing waters were rated as excellent. Only 1.5% of EU waters were classified as poor.
Coastal waters generally showed better quality than inland waters. About 89% of coastal sites were rated excellent compared to 78% of rivers and lakes.
EU legislation has driven improvements in water quality over recent decades through systematic monitoring and investments in wastewater treatment plants. However, chemical pollution remains a concern due to climate change impacts.
Challenges such as toxic cyanobacterial blooms continue to affect water quality but are not included in current EU monitoring rules.
The EEA’s interactive map and updated country fact sheets provide further details on each site’s performance under the Bathing Water Directive.
For additional information:
– Maciej Berestecki: +32 2 29 66483 / [email protected]
– Emma Maréchal: +32 2 29 94818 / [email protected]
