Investigation: EU Agency's Bathing Water Report Captures Chemical Risks Only Inadequately

Accordingly, at least 7,866 bathing sites across the EU are classified as clean under the requirements of the Bathing Water Directive, even though they are located on waters demonstrably contaminated with chemical pollutants. In one report, the EEA had certified predominantly excellent water quality for Europe's bathing waters. According to that, just under 85 percent of the more than 22,000 bathing sites in the 27 EU states as well as Albania and Switzerland had excellent water quality, and 96 percent at least met the EU minimum standards.

In Germany too, the bathing sites score excellently according to the EEA: just under 91 percent of the roughly 2,300 examined bathing sites in Germany had excellent water quality. This figure stands in contrast to the Correctiv findings, which also identify contaminated waters in Germany that are officially classified as clean.

Criticism from the scientific community

The toxicologist Hans-Jörg Martin from the University Hospital Kiel told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur: "Die gegenwärtige Bewertung reicht nach meiner Meinung nicht aus." He warned: "Ein Gewässer kann die Grenzwerte von chemischen Stoffen sprengen und dennoch als exzellent eingestuft werden." Martin emphasized that authorities would identify contaminated waters "würden sie bei der Bewertung der Badewasserqualität auch chemische Parameter berücksichtigen - mit potenziellen Folgen für die menschliche Gesundheit".

The chemist Markus Große Ophoff from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, who sits on an expert commission of the Umweltbundesamt (UBA), called for more caution: "An Badestellen sollte vor dem Baden gewarnt werden, wenn das Wasser nachweislich mit Schadstoffen in stark erhöhten Konzentrationen belastet ist." Foam formation on lakes or in the sea is particularly problematic, as pollutants can accumulate in it especially heavily. "Meeresschaum oder auch der Schaum an Seen kann besonders stark mit PFAS belastet sein," the chemist explained.

Political consequences remain open

The analysis draws on EU-wide monitoring, in which local authorities already examine waters for dozens of chemical pollutants - from heavy metals such as arsenic to pesticide residues to industrial chemicals such as PFAS. This data is thus available to the EEA but does not feed into the annual assessment. The World Health Organization (WHO) also called in a 2025 report for more attention to be paid to cyanobacteria in bathing waters.

That the discrepancy between official assessment and actual contamination can be misleading is shown exemplarily by the Correctiv analysis. The critics' central message: the current methodology creates a deceptive sense of security among bathers, since risks from pollutants are systematically overlooked.

The Correctiv investigation thus also raises political questions: Should the EU revise its Bathing Water Directive and mandatorily include chemical parameters in the assessment? To date, the assessment is based on the 2006 Bathing Water Directive, which focuses primarily on microbiological parameters. A revision would be a matter for the EU Commission and the European Parliament.

For bathers in Germany and the EU, the investigation means for now that the well-known "excellent water quality" seal of approval is only of limited informational value. Those who want to be on the safe side can refer to the detailed water quality data from the responsible state authorities or to guidance from the Umweltbundesamt on foam formation and cyanobacteria.

This news item was broadcast on 03.07.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. The debate over a more comprehensive assessment is likely to gain momentum in the coming bathing seasons - especially because more and more people in Europe depend on clean and safe bathing waters.