The European Commission has asked France to provide additional information about how the European Directive on priority substances in the field of water policy (Directive 2013/39/EU) is being enacted in their domestic law.

 Priority substances are chemicals which present a significant risk to or via the aquatic environment within the EU - the obligation had to be fulfilled by 14 September 2015. The Directive aims to reduce such pollution of waters at the source by setting levels of concentration which are safe for the aquatic environment and for human health.

After France missed the original deadline, the European Commission sent a letter of formal notice on 20 November 2015. The Commission said that as the national legislation for the enactment of the Directive that the French authorities have submitted is incomplete, it is now sending a reasoned opinion. If France fails to act within two months, the case may be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU.

European Union policy on the environment is based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should, as a priority, be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.

Environmental quality standards (EQS) for existing priority substances were required to be taken into account for the first time in river basin management plans covering the period 2015 to 2021.

With the aim of achieving good surface water chemical status, the revised EQS for existing priority substances must be met by the end of 2021 and the EQS for newly identified priority substances by the end of 2027.