The European Drinking Water Directive (Directive (EU) 2020/2184), which replaces the former Directive 98/83/EC, represents a turning point in the European regulation of drinking water intended for human consumption.
The new Directive strengthens the focus on the chemical safety of drinking water, introducing emerging contaminants such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and Bisphenol A (BPA), together with new monitoring obligations and the harmonisation of materials in contact with drinking water, reflecting the increasing regulatory priority placed on public health and chemical safety.
The new Directive entered into force on 12 January 2021 and started to apply generally on 13 January 2023.
Currently, the EU is moving forward along two major regulatory lines within the framework of European drinking water legislation. The revision introduces for the first time specific parametric limits and monitoring obligations for substances considered priorities due to their toxicological and environmental impact, in particular: PFAS, Bisphenol A (BPA), chlorate and chlorite, haloacetic acids, microcystin-LR, and uranium.
In addition, the European Commission and ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) are developing a harmonised European system for materials in contact with drinking water (pipes, coatings, components, resins, etc.), including European positive lists of authorised substances and chemical assessment procedures.
This year 2026 will be particularly relevant for EU drinking water regulation, as new parametric values and control requirements for several substances of high concern will become fully applicable. At the same time, ECHA will begin managing the European positive lists for materials in contact with drinking water, moving towards a fully harmonised regulatory system at EU level.
As of 5 January 2026, economic operators and national authorities will be able to submit proposals to ECHA to amend the European positive lists of authorised substances in materials in contact with drinking water, within the framework of EU chemical regulation.
From 12 January 2026, a key milestone in the Drinking Water Directive, Member States will be required to ensure that drinking water in the EU complies with the new parametric values established for the substances listed above. From this date onwards, harmonised monitoring of PFAS in drinking water across the European Union will also become mandatory.
By the end of 2026, the formal submission of applications to ECHA will begin in order to add new substances to the European positive lists, modify existing entries in the regulation of materials in contact with drinking water or remove currently authorised substances
The regulatory evolution clearly confirms a strong EU trend towards reinforcing control over persistent substances, emerging contaminants in drinking water, and materials capable of transferring compounds into water intended for human consumption.
The European strategy is clearly moving towards increased surveillance of emerging contaminants (PFAS, BPA, etc.), the European harmonisation of materials in contact with drinking water, the stricter controls on PFAS and endocrine disruptors and the progressive expansion of priority substance lists in the EU.
In parallel, the EU has updated in 2026 the legislation on surface water and groundwater, introducing new controls on pesticides (biocides and plant protection products), pharmaceutical products, bisphenols, PFAS, microplastics (under watch lists), and antimicrobial resistance indicators.
These new criteria are already becoming increasingly visible in the official communications received from authorities during regulatory authorisation procedures for both biocidal products in the EU and plant protection products in Europe, with growing concern regarding substances that may reach groundwater.
In this context, the assessment is no longer limited to the pesticide active substance, but also extends to degradation metabolites, as well as co-formulants in the final product with relevant toxicity profiles.
For any questions related to the European Drinking Water Directive, biocides regulation, or plant protection products in the EU, please do not hesitate to contact us.
