Lithuania’s Bathing Waters Cleanest in the EU

The annual report on the quality of coastal and freshwater bathing in all 27 EU Member States presented by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency last June reveals that in the 2008 bathing water season Lithuania is the only EU member 100 % complying with the mandatory as well as stricter coastal bathing waters’ safety requirements and standards. Also, 100% of the freshwater bathing sites in Lithuania met the mandatory water quality.

A total of 99 bathing waters (84 freshwater and 15 coastal bathing sites) were monitored in Lithuania during the 2008 bathing season, which lasted 3.5 months. Since 2005, no freshwater bathing water, as well as since the start of reporting in 2004, no coastal bathing water had to be closed during the season in Lithuania.

Besides Lithuania, also Estonia, Belgium, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Greece, France and Malta are on the list of cleanest and safest coastal bathing areas. On the list of cleanest freshwater bathing sites Lithuania is accompanied by Bulgaria, Greece, Luxembourg, Finland, France, Sweden and Germany.

The report reveals that the large majority of bathing sites across the European Union met EU hygiene standards in 2008 - some 96 % of coastal bathing areas and 92 % of bathing sites in rivers and lakes complied with minimum standards.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, said, "Information sources like this report and our web-based viewing tools enable citizens not only to check the quality of the bathing water in their local community or holiday destination, but also to allow them to get more actively involved in the protection of their environment."