The EU's annual Bathing Water report was published on Tuesday and Belgium has once again passed the test with flying colours.
The entire continent (EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland) fared well regarding water quality, with 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU meeting the minimum quality standards and only 1.5% rated as "poor". The report, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, focuses on water safety through monitoring dangerous bacteria at 22,081 separate sites.
The best bathing water can be found in Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Austria. All bathing sites in Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria and Romania met at least the minimum quality standard in 2023.
"With the vast majority of bathing sites across Europe achieving excellent quality, Europeans can enjoy safe standards for their swimming activities this summer," commented Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius.
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However, "even though most European bathing waters are in excellent condition from a bacteriological point of view, pollution of surface and groundwater remains significant and could be exacerbated by climate change," according to the EEA. "It will be essential to improve the resilience of water for people and the environment in the years to come."
Across Europe, the bathing quality of coastal water is generally better compared to inland water. In 2023, 89% of coastal bathing sites classified are of excellent quality, compared to just under 79% of inland bathing waters.
Wallonia recently unveiled 26 certified bathing spots which will be open to the public over summer. The region will continuously test the water throughout the season and Environment Minister Céline Tellier (Ecolo) warns that temporary closures may occur when water quality deteriorates due to heavy rainfall or other environmental factors.
