DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 20 June 2025
Europe's bathing waters safe for summer swimming
From Europe's coastal waters to its inland bathing sites, a large majority of Europe's waters are safe to swim in, according to the latest European bathing water assessment for the 2024 bathing season, published today. It found that over 85% of monitored locations met the European Union's most stringent ‘excellent' bathing water quality standards last year, while 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards.
The assessment and the interactive map, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, highlight where swimmers can find well managed bathing sites in Europe. The assessment inspects water suitability for bathing, focusing on monitoring bacteria which can cause potentially serious illnesses.
Overall, over 22,000 bathing water sites across all 27 EU Member States, plus Albania and Switzerland were assessed. In five countries — Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria and Croatia — 95% or more of bathing waters were of excellent quality. Only 1.5% of the EU's bathing waters were found to be of poor quality.
The quality of coastal bathing waters is generally better than that of rivers and lakes. In 2024, around 89% of coastal bathing waters in the EU were classified as excellent, compared with 78% of inland bathing waters.
Steady improvements over recent decades
Bathing water quality in Europe has improved markedly over recent decades largely thanks to EU legislation. The combined effect of systematic bacteriological monitoring pursuant to the EU's Bathing Water Directive and large investments in urban wastewater treatment plants led to a drastic reduction in pathogens that were previously being released. Thanks to these continued efforts, bathing is now also possible in many urban areas.
While most of Europe's bathing waters are in excellent condition from a bacteriological perspective, chemical pollution of surface and groundwaters remains significant and may be exacerbated by the changing climate. Improving water resilience for people and for the environment is therefore crucial.
Other challenges to water quality like toxic cyanobacterial blooms, which are not part of monitoring prescribed by EU bathing water rules, frequently result in bathing warnings and restrictions.
Background
Overall water quality is monitored and assessed under the EU's Water Framework Directive and covers a broad spectrum of chemical pollutants in surface and groundwater. Chemical pollutants are not covered by bathing water monitoring even when they exceed legal thresholds that are in place to prevent environmental damage.
The assessment for today's briefing is based on the monitoring of bathing sites across Europe that were reported to the EEA for the 2024 season. This includes sites in all EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland.
Alongside this year's Bathing Water Briefing, the EEA has also released an updated interactive map showing the performance of each bathing site. Updated country fact sheets are also available, as well as more information on the implementation of the Directive in assessed countries.
For more information
2024 Assessment on Bathing Water Quality
Country fact sheets
Interactive map
National or regional pages
EU rules on Bathing Water Quality
Review of the Bathing Water Directive
Quote(s)
Enjoying time at the beach or swimming in lakes and rivers is for many a symbol of holidays and relaxation, as we look forward to the approaching summer. The results published today show that Europeans can confidently bathe in the vast majority of the EU’s bathing sites that meet the EU’s bathing quality standards. I am committed to continuing to work to ensure high quality water for people and the environment, as part of our EU Water Resilience Strategy.
Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
We can all be glad that a vast majority of our bathing waters are clean enough to swim in. This is thanks to systematic work under EU rules which has steadily improved the health of our waters. It shows that monitoring and coordination at the European level benefits every one of us. Of course, there is more to do to improve the cleanliness of our waters and their resilience to withstand new challenges posed by climate change and over-use.
Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency
Joint statement by the European Commission and the High Representative on World Refugee Day
On World Refugee Day, we commemorate the strength and resilience of refugees, who have left their homes not by choice, but due to conflict, violence, persecution or human rights violations. This year's World Refugee Day comes at a time when a record of more than 122 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide.
The EU supports millions of refugees, from those having fled the conflict in Syria to hosting over 4.3 million Ukrainians under Temporary Protection due to Russia's war, reaffirming the EU as a safe haven for those in need.
Globally, the EU upholds its responsibility as the world's leading donor, responding to crises such as those in Sudan and the Middle East. Our humanitarian and development efforts focus on safeguarding refugee rights, ensuring access to essential services, and offering durable solutions – including assisted voluntary return, local integration and resettlement.
Global cooperation and solidarity are key to ensure the protection of refugees worldwide. Support to the vital work of international organisations especially the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is of outmost importance and must be sustained.
The EU will continue to play its role on the global stage and uphold refugees' rights, in line with EU and international law.
The EU and its Member States make an important contribution to global resettlement efforts. Since 2015, EU resettlement schemes have provided a safe haven to over 134,000 vulnerable refugees. Additionally, since 2021, nearly 53,000 refugees – primarily Afghans at risk – have been welcomed to the EU through humanitarian admission schemes. Building on this commitment, EU Member States pledged 61,000 resettlement and humanitarian admissions for 2024-2025 at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum.
After a historic agreement was reached on the Pact on Migration and Asylum in 2024, work has been ongoing to translate the large and complex set of legislative acts into an operational reality by mid-2026.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum reflects a comprehensive and a whole-of-route approach to migration management. The Commission is pursuing with the Member States a two-track approach, accompanying legislative work at EU level with operational activities. This includes work on the external dimension of migration, through the pursuit of comprehensive partnerships with partner countries.
This is a common endeavour, with the Commission supporting Member States every step of the way, including additional funding, to put in place the legal and operational capabilities required to successfully start applying the new legislation by mid-2026.
Commission restricts Chinese participation in medical devices procurement
The European Commission decided to exclude Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding €5 million. This measure follows the conclusions of the first investigation under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), and allows no more than 50% of inputs from China for successful bids.
This response is proportionate to China's barriers, while ensuring that all the necessary medical devices are available for the EU healthcare system. Exceptions will be in place where no alternative suppliers exist. The measures are consistent with the EU's international obligations, including under the WTO framework, as the EU has no binding procurement commitments vis-à-vis China.
The measure seeks to incentivise China to cease its discrimination against EU firms and EU-made medical devices and treat EU companies with the same openness as the EU does with Chinese companies and products. This is a response to China's longstanding exclusion of EU-made medical devices from Chinese government contracts.
Defending EU businesses from unfair treatment
Global public procurement, worth over €11 trillion per year, is an important business opportunity for European companies. The EU public procurement market remains one of the most open in the world. For example, Chinese exports of medical devices to the EU have more than doubled between 2015 and 2023.
At the same time China has erected significant and recurring legal and administrative barriers to its procurement market: 87% of public procurement contracts for medical devices in China were subject to exclusionary and discriminatory measures and practices against EU-made medical devices and EU suppliers, according to a 2025 Commission report. The report was the result of the Commission's first investigation under the IPI Regulation, launched on 24 April 2024.
The Commission has repeatedly raised this issue with the Chinese authorities, seeking a constructive and fair solution that would enable EU companies to access the Chinese market on terms comparable to those enjoyed by Chinese firms in the EU. Despite these efforts, China has so far not offered specific commitments that would address the discriminatory measures and practices identified.
The Commission remains committed to dialogue and stands ready to intensify contacts with the Chinese authorities to address this discrimination. The IPI is ultimately a tool to incentivize positive change and create leverage for fairer access. Should China offer concrete, verifiable, and satisfactory solutions that effectively address the concerns identified, the IPI framework allows for the suspension or withdrawal of measures.
For More Information
Implementing Regulation imposing IPI measure
The EU's International Public Procurement Instrument
Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses. We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.
Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
Opening remarks by President von der Leyen at the Mattei Plan Summit
Thank you very much, dear Giorgia,
Dear friends,
First of all, thank you for hosting us here in this stunning corner of the eternal city. It is a pleasure to be here with you, my friends, today. We are here to reaffirm Europe's strong commitment in a partnership together with Africa. And I would like to thank Italy for putting the cooperation with Africa at the heart of our action.
The Mattei plan is a perfect example of how we shape together the Global Gateway. Global Gateway is an investment programme of the European Union of EUR 300 billion; EUR 150 billion of that goes to Africa. So this is Team Europe at work, and it is teamwork with Africa that we are showing today.
Indeed, as you said, I want to thank our African partners for being here today because we share a common vision. We are working together in developing clean energy. This is a continent of abundance and abundance of resources. What is missing is the infrastructure, so we invest in the infrastructure for clean energy and modern economic corridors. Today we discuss how we are linking our digital markets, but also how, for example, to unlock the food value chain, but most importantly to add, to how to train people to develop the skills of the people in the region.
Global Gateway is an investment agenda that combines public with private capital and the international financing institutions. Through the investment agenda, we are turning our common vision into reality.
We have a common idea where we want to go to. Today it is about implementing, getting it on the road, making it happen. And therefore, we are today concluding several very important agreements that will bring private capital to Africa and create tangible impact on the ground. So, I am very much looking forward to our discussions today.
Thank you for inviting me here.