According to the latest figures released by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and the European Commission, 95.8% of bathing sites in Greece were rated as having excellent water quality in 2023. The updated report, published on Tuesday, highlights Greece's high standing in water quality among European nations.
Cyprus topped the list with 97.6% of its bathing waters rated excellent, followed by Croatia at 96.7% and Austria at 96.9%. Overall, the report found that 85.4% of bathing sites across Europe achieved excellent quality standards, with 96% of officially recognised sites meeting at least the minimum quality standards. Only 1.5% of sites were classified as having poor water quality.
The report also noted that coastal bathing waters generally have better quality than inland waters, with 89% of coastal sites rated as excellent compared to 79% for inland sites.
Since the adoption of the Bathing Water Directive in 2006, the proportion of sites with poor water quality has decreased and has remained stable since 2015.
(Source: Amna)