Have the article read by OpenAI (Beta). Please note that AI translations may take some time to process.Brussels (dpa) – Pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies will have to contribute significantly to wastewater treatment in the European Union under new rules agreed by EU countries on Tuesday.
Manufacturers are to pay at least 80 percent of the additional costs for wastewater treatment caused by their pollution, according to the new legislation.
The new rules are a tightening of an existing EU law on urban wastewater treatment and are to apply to smaller companies and more pollutants including micropollutants, which are often the by-products of manufacturing medicines and make-up.
Under the new rules, wastewater is also to be strictly monitored for antibiotic-resistant pathogens, viruses and microplastics. EU countries will also be obliged to promote the reuse of treated wastewater from all municipal wastewater treatment plants where appropriate, especially in areas with water scarcity.
Tuesday’s agreement was met with mixed reactions by interest groups.
The German Association of Local Public Utilities (VKU) described the new directive as a “necessary step” to protect water bodies and welcomed the idea that the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry will have to contribute to the costs of wastewater treatment.
The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), however, described the new rules as “completely misguided” and warned that individual products could become more expensive or some systemically important medicines could disappear from the market.
The association expects the German pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry will have to pay around 2 billion to 3 billion Euro per year for wastewater treatment.
The German association of the generic and biosimilar pharmaceutical industry, Pro Generika warned that the additional costs could lead to increased drug shortages in Germany, for example for cancer drugs, diabetes medication or antibiotics.
The association recognised the need to expand sewage treatment plants to filter more substances but criticised the fact that only two more sectors are being made to pay and warned that production of medicines could become uneconomical under the new law. (5 November)
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