On 1 January 2025, the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) entered into force. Through this initiative, the European Commission aims to protect human health and improve water quality, and hence the environment, for all EU citizens.

One of the key innovations of the revised Directive is the introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Under the Directive, micropollutants must be removed through quaternary wastewater treatment, with the costs financed via EPR by the sectors considered responsible for the pollution caused by the use of their products. The European Commission has identified the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries as the two sectors mainly responsible for the micropollution in wastewater.

There is broad support for the EU’s environmental objectives, but opinions diverge on how these goals should be achieved and on the practical implementation of the Directive. Fair burden-sharing remains a central concern, with responsibility currently focused on just two industries.

Concerns have been raised that the scheme risks imposing disproportionate financial burdens, potentially threatening the availability and affordability of essential medicines, for example, while other industries are not incentivised to become more sustainable. To be effective, the EPR framework should be built on robust scientific data, transparent methodologies, and a genuine application of the polluter-pays principle, reflecting actual contributions to pollution. Greater policy coherence is also seen as necessary to safeguard EU competitiveness.

Others underline that the scheme has the potential to unlock much-needed private investment in the water sector and accelerate the deployment of advanced treatment technologies.

Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to explore how the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and its EPR scheme can be implemented effectively, fairly, and sustainably, while balancing environmental ambition with industrial competitiveness and public health needs.

Questions to be addressed include:

- How can the EPR scheme be designed to ensure a fair and evidence-based application of the polluter-pays principle?
- What are the implications of the Directive on medicine availability, patient access, pharmaceutical innovation, and EU competitiveness?
- How can policymakers ensure balanced burden-sharing while securing the investments needed to achieve Europe’s water quality objectives?
- How can the UWWTD be implemented in a way that aligns environmental objectives with broader EU health, industrial, and innovation policies?
- How can all relevant stakeholders collaborate to deliver the UWWTD’s environmental objectives while ensuring access to medicines?