Κολυμπήστε άφοβα σε όλες σχεδόν τις ακτές, τα ποτάμια και τις λίμνες της Ευρώπης, καθώς η ποιότητα του νερού έχει εν γένει βελτιωθεί. Τα συμπεράσματα της ετήσιας έκθεσης για τα νερά κολύμβησης που δημοσιεύει ο Ευρωπαϊκός Οργανισμός Περιβάλλοντος βασίζονται σε τακτικές δειγματοληψίες οι οποίες πραγματοποιούνται σε περισσότερες από 22.000 παράκτιες και εσωτερικές περιοχές κολύμβησης σε όλη την Ευρώπη.
Ο αριθμός των περιοχών με νερά "εξαιρετικής" ποιότητας αυξήθηκε κατά 3,5% από πέρυσι, ενώ οι περιοχές με "ικανοποιητική" ποιότητα νερών αυξήθηκαν κατά 1%. Λιγότερες από το 2% των περιοχών δεν πληρούν τα ελάχιστα πρότυπα της ΕΕ.
Έλεγχος των νερών κολύμβησης του 2011
Έλεγχος των νερών κολύμβησης του 2011
Οι παραλίες, οι ποταμοί και οι λίμνες σε όλη την Ευρώπη ελέγχονται τακτικά για επικίνδυνους ρύπους και βακτήρια, όπως τα κολοβακτηρίδια που ενδεχομένως να αποτελούν ένδειξη της παρουσίας λυμάτων ή κτηνοτροφικών αποβλήτων.
Συνολικά, οι περισσότερες περιοχές πληρούν τα ελάχιστα πρότυπα της ΕΕ συγκριτικά με το 2010. Ωστόσο, ορισμένες χώρες παρουσιάζουν εξαιρετικά αποτελέσματα.
Οι καλύτερες και οι χειρότερες
Τις καλύτερες επιδόσεις το 2011 είχαν η Κύπρος, η Κροατία, η Μάλτα και η Ελλάδα, όπου πάνω από το 90% των περιοχών κολύμβησης αξιολογήθηκαν ως "εξαιρετικές". Οι υπόλοιπες περιοχές κολύμβησης πληρούσαν τα υποχρεωτικά πρότυπα.
Τις χειρότερες επιδόσεις είχαν οι Κάτω Χώρες, η Βουλγαρία, η Λετονία και το Βέλγιο, όπου σχετικά λίγες περιοχές πληρούσαν τα ελάχιστα πρότυπα της ΕΕ.
Στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, το 82,8% των 617 περιοχών κολύμβησης που εξετάστηκαν ήταν εξαιρετικής ποιότητας, το 14,6% καλής ή ικανοποιητικής ποιότητας, ενώ 14 περιοχές δεν ανταποκρίνονταν στις ελάχιστες απαιτήσεις και 2 κρίθηκαν ακατάλληλες για κολύμβηση και έκλεισαν.
Η ποιότητα του νερού στις περιοχές κολύμβησης της ΕΕ βελτιώνεται συνεχώς από το 1990. Ο αριθμός των παράκτιων περιοχών που δεν πληρούν τις απαιτήσεις της ΕΕ μειώθηκε από 9,2% το 1990 σε 1,5% το 2011. Οι εσωτερικές περιοχές που δεν πληρούν τα κριτήρια μειώθηκαν από 11,9% το 1990 σε 2,4% το 2011, το χαμηλότερο μέχρι σήμερα ποσοστό.
European bathing water quality in 2011
Europeans care about water quality and knowing that they have clean and safe water to swim or play in is an important factor in their choice of a holiday or weekend destination. For the tourism industry, clean and safe water is also a major factor in attracting visitors to an area. To allow Europeans to make an informed choice, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission publish an annual report on the quality of more than 22 000 bathing sites. In 2012 the report includes sites in all 27 EU Member States and three other countries. This report can help all water users find high quality bathing water across the region.
Greece
In Greece, 94.1 % of the coastal bathing waters were of excellent quality in 2011. This is a decrease of 0.1 % compared to the previous year when 94.2 % of the bathing waters met the guide values. A total of 87 bathing waters (4.0 %) were of good quality and 16 bathing waters (0.7 %) were of sufficient quality compared to 125 bathing waters compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli and not the guide values (5.8 %) in 2010. Five bathing waters (0.2 %) had poor quality compared to no bathing waters non-compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli (0.0 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had to be closed during the season, the same as in 2010. A total of 18 bathing waters (0.8 %) were insufficiently sampled compared to none (0.0 %) in 2010.
Inland bathing waters...
Some 66.7 % of the inland bathing waters were of excellent quality in 2011. This is a decrease of 16.6 % compared to the previous year when 83.3 % of the bathing waters met the guide values. Two bathing waters (33.3 %) were of good quality and no bathing waters (0.0 %) were of sufficient quality compared to one bathing water compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli and not the guide values (16.7 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had poor quality, as well as no bathing waters were non-compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli (0.0 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had to be closed during the season, the same as in 2010.
More information on bathing water quality in Europe
Of the more than 21 000 bathing areas monitored throughout the European Union in 2011, two thirds were in coastal waters and the rest in rivers and lakes. The largest numbers of coastal bathing waters can be found in Italy, Greece, France and Spain, while Germany and France have the highest numbers of inland bathing waters.
Europeans care about water quality and knowing that they have clean and safe water to swim or play in is an important factor in their choice of a holiday or weekend destination. For the tourism industry, clean and safe water is also a major factor in attracting visitors to an area. To allow Europeans to make an informed choice, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission publish an annual report on the quality of more than 22 000 bathing sites. In 2012 the report includes sites in all 27 EU Member States and three other countries. This report can help all water users find high quality bathing water across the region.
Greece
In Greece, 94.1 % of the coastal bathing waters were of excellent quality in 2011. This is a decrease of 0.1 % compared to the previous year when 94.2 % of the bathing waters met the guide values. A total of 87 bathing waters (4.0 %) were of good quality and 16 bathing waters (0.7 %) were of sufficient quality compared to 125 bathing waters compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli and not the guide values (5.8 %) in 2010. Five bathing waters (0.2 %) had poor quality compared to no bathing waters non-compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli (0.0 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had to be closed during the season, the same as in 2010. A total of 18 bathing waters (0.8 %) were insufficiently sampled compared to none (0.0 %) in 2010.
Inland bathing waters...
Some 66.7 % of the inland bathing waters were of excellent quality in 2011. This is a decrease of 16.6 % compared to the previous year when 83.3 % of the bathing waters met the guide values. Two bathing waters (33.3 %) were of good quality and no bathing waters (0.0 %) were of sufficient quality compared to one bathing water compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli and not the guide values (16.7 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had poor quality, as well as no bathing waters were non-compliant with the mandatory value for Escherichia coli (0.0 %) in 2010. No bathing waters (0.0 %) had to be closed during the season, the same as in 2010.
More information on bathing water quality in Europe
Of the more than 21 000 bathing areas monitored throughout the European Union in 2011, two thirds were in coastal waters and the rest in rivers and lakes. The largest numbers of coastal bathing waters can be found in Italy, Greece, France and Spain, while Germany and France have the highest numbers of inland bathing waters.
During recent years, including the 2011 bathing season, majority of Member States have adjusted their monitoring programmes to meet the requirements of the new bathing water directive (2006/7/EC).
Luxembourg was the first country to report under this Directive in 2007. Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden started to report under the new directive in 2008. Malta and the Netherlands started to report in 2009.
Austria, Belgium – Walloon Region, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia reported under the new directive for the first time in 2010, while Belgium - Flemish Region, Bulgaria, Ireland and Poland reported under this Directive for the first time in 2011.
