Water framework revision: a formal complaint lodged by NGOs alleging maladministration by the Commission

Several environmental organisations - such as the EEB, the Surfrider Foundation and WWF - lodged a formal complaint with the European Ombudswoman, “alleging maladministration by the European Commission over its decision to revise the Water Framework Directive (WFD)”, the associations declared on 8 September 2026.

According to the coalition of NGOs, the political decision to review and revise the water protection law came in December 2025, without prior assessment and consultation. They also claimed that it “was purely based on demands from the mining industry, one of the sectors most responsible for polluting our water”.

The Commission's commitment was then made “without presenting any evidence that the Directive itself was obstructing mining operations in Europe, and before inclusive and balanced consultation with stakeholders and experts had taken place,” NGOs continued.

Irene Duque Femenía, Senior Freshwater Policy Officer at Wetlands International Europe, said, on behalf of the NGOs group: “Simply put, this revision comes out of nowhere”.

She added that “by poking holes in our…