Newsroom
Cyprus has the cleanest bathing waters in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency’s annual report on water quality.
The Mediterranean island ranked first among EU countries for the second year in a row, with 99.2% of 123 coastal and inland sites earning the agency’s highest rating of “excellent.” The findings cover both busy beach resorts and quieter bays.
Last year, Cyprus scored 97.6% in the same category. Bulgaria placed second in the latest survey, with 97.9% of its 94 monitored sites rated excellent, followed by Greece, where 97% of 1,729 locations received top marks.
The agency’s review shows coastal waters generally outperform inland sites, partly because smaller lakes, ponds and rivers in central Europe are more prone to short-term pollution from heavy rainfall or drought.
Across the continent, 1.5% of monitored locations were rated poor, an improvement from 1.9% in 2009. Problems are often linked to storm runoff carrying waste from sewage systems. Estonia, Sweden, the Netherlands and France reported at least 3% of their sites in poor condition.
