Cyprus has emerged as the leader in Europe for the quality of its bathing waters in 2023, according to a recent assessment published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in collaboration with the European Commission. Impressively, 97.6 percent of the bathing waters surveyed on the island last year received an ‘excellent’ score.
A total of 123 coastal bathing waters were surveyed, with 1,150 samples taken from these sites. The EEA classifies bathing waters based on two microbiological parameters: Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci, as defined in the Bathing Water Directive.
European Bathing Waters: A Snapshot
The vast majority of bathing water sites across Europe met the EU’s stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2023. Specifically, 85 percent of Europe’s popular bathing waters achieved this high standard. Additionally, 96 percent of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards, with only 1.5 percent rated as ‘poor’.
This assessment serves as a guide for swimmers seeking safe bathing sites in Europe this summer. It focuses on safety for bathing by monitoring bacteria that can cause serious illness, rather than general water quality.
Top Performers and Regional Insights
Besides Cyprus, other countries with a high share of excellent bathing waters include Greece, Croatia, and Austria. In Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, and Romania, all officially identified bathing waters met at least the minimum quality standard in 2023.
The assessment is based on the monitoring of 22,081 bathing sites across Europe reported to the EEA for the 2023 season. This includes sites in all EU member states, as well as Albania and Switzerland.
“Although most of Europe’s bathing waters are in excellent condition, pollution of surface and groundwater remains significant and may be exacerbated by the changing climate. Improving water resilience for people and for the environment in coming years will be key,” the EEA stated.
