The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) that proposes to levy significant costs for micropollutant removal on the region’s medicines and cosmetics industries.
EU Medicines And Cosmetics Industries Set To Pay At Least 80% Of Wastewater Treatment Costs
The EU's revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is one step closer to implementation thanks to provisional agreement between the European Parliament and Council. In line with the “polluter pays” principle, producers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics should contribute at least 80% towards the costs of removing micropollutants from wastewater through quaternary treatment, the legislative bodies agree.

More from Europe
HBW Insight speaks to AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite about what's on the agenda for the upcoming 61st AESGP Annual Meeting, which will take place in Warsaw, Poland, between 2-4 June. Highlights include the role of prevention in self-care, discussions about how regulators will ensure the competitiveness of European industry on the world stage and incoming changes to sustainability legislation.
“Overall, no unexpected/new data or findings” were presented to Germany's Expert Committee for Prescription in the most recent Rx-to-OTC switch application for sildenafil (25mg and 50mg), according to medicines regulator BfArM, resulting in a third rejection in three years.
“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. It is unfair to expect only two sectors to fund wastewater treatment modernization and operation,” argues AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite.
Like many European firms, Stada Arzneimittel's 2024 earnings were held back by a soft cough, cold and flu season. However, key launches in its home market Germany and in the Middle East offset this impact and led to 3% organic growth for Stada's Consumer Healthcare business.
More from Geography
Like many European firms, Stada Arzneimittel's 2024 earnings were held back by a soft cough, cold and flu season. However, key launches in its home market Germany and in the Middle East offset this impact and led to 3% organic growth for Stada's Consumer Healthcare business.
Maxwellia's “bold, honest, and completely unfiltered” campaign for Evana menstrual health brand tells the story of a woman dealing with the realities of a heavy period, showing “real blood, real leaks.”
HBW Insight catches up with Maxwellia CEO Anna Maxwell to discuss her company's journey so far, and what she sees as the opportunities for Rx-to-OTC switch in UK women's health and beyond.