Europe's swimming spots given the green light for summer fun

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The European bathing water assessment for the 2024 season, published by the EU Commission, indicates that a large majority of Europe's waters are safe to swim in. Over 22,000 bathing water sites across 27 EU Member States, Albania, and Switzerland were assessed, with the results offering a promising outlook for summer enthusiasts.

The assessment, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Commission, provides an interactive map highlighting well-managed bathing sites in Europe. This interactive tool allows users to explore the quality of bathing waters in various regions, offering a comprehensive overview of the continent's water safety.

According to the report, a staggering 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards. In five countries – Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, and Croatia – 95% or more of bathing waters were of excellent quality. The highest percentage was recorded in Austria, with an impressive 100% of its bathing sites meeting the strictest EU standards.

The assessment focuses on monitoring bacteria that can cause potentially serious illnesses. In this regard, only 1.5% of the EU's bathing waters were found to be of poor quality. Toxic cyanobacterial blooms, not covered under EU bathing water rules, often lead to bathing warnings and restrictions.

The quality of coastal bathing waters is generally better than that of rivers and lakes; in 2024, around 89% of coastal bathing waters in the EU were classified as excellent, compared with 78% of inland bathing waters. This trend suggests that the EU's efforts to improve the quality of its bathing waters have been more successful in coastal areas.

Bathing water quality in Europe has improved markedly over recent decades largely due to EU legislation, investments in urban wastewater treatment plants, and the EU's Bathing Water Directive. However, the assessment does not provide specific information on investments in urban wastewater treatment plants or the improvement of bathing water quality over recent decades.

National or regional pages are also available as part of the bathing water quality report. These pages offer a more detailed analysis of the quality of bathing waters in individual countries, providing a valuable resource for travellers planning their summer holidays. The 2024 assessment on bathing water quality also provides country fact sheets for a thorough examination of the situation in each EU Member State, Albania, and Switzerland.

The European Union has rules specific to Bathing Water Quality that help maintain high standards. Despite the positive results, it is essential to continue monitoring bathing waters to ensure they remain safe for swimmers. The assessment does not provide specific figures on the number of bathing water sites assessed, beyond the initial figure of over 22,000 sites across the participating countries.

In conclusion, the 2024 European bathing water assessment offers a promising outlook for summer enthusiasts. With the majority of bathing waters meeting the highest quality standards, it seems that Europe's waters are a safe haven for swimmers. However, continued efforts are necessary to ensure that the quality of bathing waters remains high and improves further in the years to come.