COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 20 February 1995 on groundwater protection (95/C 49/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

EMPHASIZES the special significance of groundwater as an essential component of the water cycle and ecosystems and as one of the most important resources in the provision of drinking water;

IS CONCERNED that groundwater resources in certain areas remain seriously endangered, both qualitatively and quantitatively;

RECALLS its resolution of 25 February 1992 on the future Community groundwater policy (1) calling upon the Commission to submit a detailed action programme for groundwater protection and to draft a proposal for revising Council Directive 80/68/EEC of 17 December 1979 on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances (2);

CONFIRMS the points made in the final declaration adopted by the participants at the Ministerial Seminar on groundwater in The Hague on 26 and 27 November 1991;

SUPPORTS the guidelines of the Fifth Action Programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development in the field of groundwater management:

- maintaining the quality of unpolluted groundwater,

- preventing further pollution,

- restoring where appropriate, polluted groundwater;

ADVOCATES emphasis on the following points when formulating the action programme;

- licensing systems and other instruments providing an appropriate national management of (ground) water,

- measures to provide for preventive, far-reaching groundwater protection, inter alia, in view of diffuse sources,

- general provisions for the safety of installations handling substances harmful to water,

- general provisions to promote agricultural practices consistent with groundwater protection;

therefore REQUESTS the Commission to tackle the aforementioned priority tasks and, in cooperation with the Member States, to draw up relevant proposals in compliance with the subsidiarity principle and put them forward in a specific programme that can also form part of the overall policy on water protection demanded by a number of Member States;

REQUESTS the Commission to consider the revision of Directive 80/68/EEC where necessary;

URGES the Commission to expedite its work so that the action programme for the protection of groundwater can be submitted to the Council before the end of the first half of 1995 at the latest.

(1) OJ No C 59, 6. 3. 1992, p. 2.

(2) OJ No L 20, 26. 1. 1980, p. 43. Directive as last amended by Directive 91/692/EEC (OJ No L 377, 31. 12. 1991, p. 48).