Recital (47) · Directive (EU) 2020/2184

(47)The effectiveness of this Directive and its aim of protecting human health in the context of the Union’s environment policy require that natural or legal persons, or where appropriate their duly constituted organisations, be able to rely on it in legal proceedings and that the national courts be able to take this Directive into consideration as an element of Union law in order, inter alia, to review decisions of a national authority where appropriate. In addition, according to settled case law of the Court of Justice, under the principle of sincere cooperation laid down in Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), it is for the courts of the Member States to ensure judicial protection of a person’s rights under Union law. Furthermore, Article 19(1) TEU requires Member States to provide remedies sufficient to ensure effective judicial protection in the fields covered by Union law.This applies particularly in respect of a Directive which has the objective of protecting human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption. In addition, in accordance with the Aarhus Convention, members of the public concerned should have access to justice in order to contribute to the protection of the right to live in an environment which is adequate for personal health and well-being. By Council Decision (EU) 2018/881^note, the Commission was requested to carry out a study by 30 September 2019 and, if appropriate in light of the study, to submit by 30 September 2020 a proposal to amend Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note, in order to address the findings of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in case ACCC/C/2008/32. The Commission submitted the study by that deadline and stated, in its Communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal, that it ‘will consider revising the Aarhus Regulation to improve access to administrative and judicial review at EU level for citizens and NGOs who have concerns about the legality of decisions with effects on the environment’. It is important that the Commission also take action to improve access to justice by citizens and NGOs before national courts in all Member States.

Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.

Defined terms · 15

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composition
means the chemical composition of a metal, enamel, ceramic or other inorganic material.
domestic distribution system
means the pipework, fittings and appliances which are installed between the taps that are normally used for water intended for human consumption in both public and private premises and the distribution network, but only if they are not the responsibility of the water supplier, in its capacity as a water supplier, under the relevant national law;
food business
means a food business as defined in point (2) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002;
food business operator
means a food business operator as defined in point (3) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002;
hazard
means a biological, chemical, physical or radiological agent in water, or another aspect of the condition of water, with the potential to cause harm to human health;
hazardous event
means an event that introduces hazards into, or fails to remove them from, the supply system of water intended for human consumption;
minor
refers to a level of influence on the quality of water intended for human consumption that does not require full testing.
Pesticides
means: organic insecticides, organic herbicides, organic fungicides, organic nematocides, organic acaricides, organic algicides, organic rodenticides organic slimicides, related products (inter alia, growth regulators), and their metabolites as defined in point (32) of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, that are considered relevant for water intended for human consumption.
Pesticides Total
means the sum of all individual pesticides, as defined in the previous row, detected and quantified in the monitoring procedure.
priority premises
means large non-household premises with many users potentially exposed to water-related risks, in particular large premises for public use, as identified by Member States;
risk
means a combination of the likelihood of a hazardous event and the severity of the consequences if the hazard and hazardous event occur in the supply system of water intended for human consumption;
starting substance
means a substance that has been intentionally added in the production of organic materials or of admixtures for cementitious materials;
Sum of PFAS
means the sum of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances considered a concern as regards water intended for human consumption listed in point 3 of Part B of Annex III.
water intended for human consumption
means:
water supplier
means an entity supplying water intended for human consumption;

Directive (EU) 2020/2184

Defined terms · 15

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