'Excellent' Water at Most European Beaches, Study Says
The report found 1.5% of sites were rated poor, and coastal waters scored better than rivers and lakes.
- On Tuesday, the European Environment Agency reported that 85 per cent of bathing sites across the European Union had 'excellent' water quality in 2025, based on assessments of more than 22,000 monitored sites.
- Coastal areas generally outperform inland rivers and lakes, with 88 per cent of coastal waters rated 'excellent' compared to 78 per cent inland; Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, and Croatia each achieved at least 95 per cent 'excellent' ratings.
- EEA Director Leena Yla-Mononen said, 'This summer we can all reap the benefits of solid implementation of EU bathing water rules,' while 96 per cent of monitored bathing waters met at least the EU's minimum quality standards.
- Only 1.5 per cent of monitored sites received 'poor' ratings, though Albania recorded 23.5 per cent graded as 'poor.' Authorities must prohibit swimming at sites where quality remains 'poor' for five consecutive years.
- The European Commission attributes long-term improvements to the Bathing Water Directive and better management practices, yet warns that further progress is needed to address chemical pollution and climate change impacts on water resources.
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All Cyprus bathing waters rated ‘excellent’ in 2025
Cyprus once again ranked among the EU’s top performers for bathing water quality, with all 123 monitored bathing sites across the island receiving the highest possible rating of “excellent” in 2025 in the bloc’s annual bathing water report on Tuesday. The island joins Austria, Bulgaria and Greece among the countries where more than 95 per cent of bathing waters were classified as being of excellent quality. In Cyprus’ case, the figure reached 10…
A large majority of bathing sites and water bodies in Europe have very good water quality.
The Local - Se
Most beaches in Europe offer 'excellent' water quality, study says
The vast majority of Europe's beaches offer "excellent" water quality for swimming, the EU environment agency said on Tuesday ahead of the summer season, with coastal nations and inland Austria topping the list.
The vast majority of European bathing waters meet the strictest EU quality standards, according to the latest assessment of the European Environment Agency (EEA) on the quality of bathing waters in Europe for 2025. In Slovenia, all bathing waters at sea are classified as excellent quality.
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