ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS IN WATER
(11816/06)
Letter from the Chairman to Ian Pearson
MP, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment, Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
I refer to your Explanatory Memorandum dated
3 October 2006 on this subject, which concerned a proposal for
a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Environmental
Quality Standards (EQSs) in the field of water policy. Sub-Committee
D (Environment and Agriculture) considered these proposals at
its meetings on 25 October and 29 November.
The Sub-Committee sees merit in these Proposals.
We have noted your comments on the need for more flexibility but
we feel that the importance of this legislation for water environments
across the European Union is such that there is a need for stringent
measures. We have noted also that the concept of Transitional
Areas of Exceedance (Article 3) appears to offer some room for
manoeuvre in achieving good water quality status within a reasonable
time-frame.
The Committee would however welcome further
information from you in a number of areas. In particular, it is
not clear to us where the costs and benefits of these proposals
lie or what the cost—as distinct from environment
or health—benefits would be. We would also like to know
what are the priority substances referred to, especially those
for which the UK currently does not have EQSs. More generally,
the Committee would find it helpful to consider the proposals
against the background of progress in implementing the Water Framework
Directive rather than in isolation.
For these reasons we would wish to invite you
to appear before us early in the New Year with a view to resolving
some of these issues. We would wish also to take evidence from
the Environment Agency. Our Clerk will be in touch with your office
in order to seek a suitable date. In the meantime the Committee
wishes to retain the Proposals under scrutiny.
29 November 2006
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