Bathing water quality, 2005 bathing season, summary report 2006

Member States are required to monitor the water quality in their designated bathing areas through regular sampling during the bathing season in accordance of The Bathing Water Directive, Directive 76/160/ EEC. Priority is given to two microbiological parameters such as total and faecal coliforms and three physio-chemical parameters which are mineral oils, surface-active substances and phenols. The four states namely Hungary, Latvia, Malta and Poland have reported for the first time and had significantly numbers of insufficiently sampled bathing areas. Nevertheless, the six Member States reporting for the second time have indicated a clear overall improvement in their results. In the 2005 bathing season, the average compliance rate with mandatory values dropped to 96.1% at coastal bathing areas. This has been due of an increase in the number of sites where bathing was prohibited and inadequate sampling.