Member states ban swimming sites to circumvent EU law

EU member states last year prohibited swimming at several of their bathing sites - in order not to be held accountable by the EU for poor bathing water quality.

In its yearly report on the quality of bathing water in the EU, the European Commission today (1 June) heavily criticized several EU countries for continuously closing down bathing waters to the public - instead of trying to comply with EU water quality standards.

Bathing waters at the coasts and lakes of the EU have t...