The European Commission today put forward a proposal for new restrictions on chemicals in surface water that adds 15 substances to the restricted list and tightens existing limits.

The chemicals would be added to the existing list of 33 ‘priority substances’ adopted in 2001. The 15 new substances include industrial chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. MEPs had called for 64 substances to be added to the list.

The proposal was planned for autumn 2011 but was delayed due to concerns from industry groups. The controversial idea to add the pain reliever Ibuprofen to the list has been dropped. But the list still contains other pharmaceuticals such as the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac and the contraceptive pill ethinylestradiol. It is the first time pharmaceuticals have been proposed for the list.

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The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) welcomed the addition of pharmaceuticals to the list, but they said the proposal did not go far enough. “From a list of 2,000 substances initially considered as potentially dangerous, it is worrying to see that the Commission has decided to target only 15 of these for pollution reduction,” said Sarolta Tripolszky, EEB’s water policy officer.

Member states will have to ensure that concentrations of the priority substances in surface water do not exceed the set limits by 2021. But derogations are possible under certain conditions. The proposal will now pass to member states and the European Parliament for approval.