EU Environment Agency: 96 Percent of European Bathing Waters Meet Minimum Standards

According to a report by the European Environment Agency, water quality is excellent at 90.9 percent of the examined bathing sites at seas, lakes, and rivers. This applies to 2,082 of just under 2,300 bathing sites. Germany thus ranks 7th out of 29 countries examined in the EU-wide comparison. 136 bathing sites received the rating "good," and 26 bathing sites received the rating "sufficient." Germany's bathing sites at lakes, rivers, and seas were rated "excellent" at over 90 percent according to the report.

Leaders and Laggards

At the top are Cyprus and Greece, followed by Bulgaria, Austria, Luxembourg, and Denmark. Austria achieved excellent water quality at 96.5 percent of its bathing sites, ranking 4th. Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, and Albania performed worse: in these countries, less than 70 percent of the examined bathing sites were classified as excellent.

Switzerland ranks 16th with 84.4 percent excellent bathing sites – unchanged compared to the previous year. EU-wide, the share of excellent bathing waters was also just under 85 percent the previous year. According to the data, bacterial contamination is particularly low at coastal bathing sites, while rivers "continue to pose a particular challenge" according to the report: only about half of the examined rivers achieved the top rating.

Three German Bathing Sites with Poor Ratings

In three German bathing waters, the EEA advises against swimming. It attests them poor water quality. Specifically, these are the Badesee Schießtal and the Metzisweiler Weiher in Baden-Württemberg as well as the Badestelle Nord of the Riemer See in Bavaria. Nationwide, this corresponds to 1.5 percent of all bathing sites with a poor rating – also 1.5 percent EU-wide.

Causes and Long-Term Trends

The EEA attributes the overall positive development to decades of efforts. Less untreated or only partially treated wastewater is being discharged into waters, the agency explained. The bathing waters report is published annually before the summer season. An interactive online map provides information on all recorded sites. The report is published before the start of the bathing season based on data from the previous four bathing seasons, which are supplied by the member countries. The news was broadcast on 16.06.2026 on Deutschlandfunk.

The report assesses water quality based on the concentration of certain intestinal bacteria that can cause illness in humans. These bacteria enter lakes, rivers, and seas primarily through wastewater and from agriculture.

Overall, the report shows that water quality at Europe's bathing sites has risen significantly over the past decades. 96 percent of all bathing waters in the European Union met the minimum quality standards, and 85 percent were "excellent." The Federal Republic of Germany, with over 90 percent excellent bathing sites, ranks in the European middle range and can look forward to a largely unproblematic bathing season.