4.3.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 64/37 DIRECTIVE 2006/7/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 February 2006 concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (%), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (?), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (4), in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 8 December 2005, Whereas: (1) Building on the Commission’s Communication on sustainable development, the European Council has singled out objectives as general guidance for future development in priority areas such as natural resources and public health. (2) Water is a scarce natural resource, the quality of which should be protected, defended, managed and treated as such. Surface waters in particular are renewable resources with a limited capacity to recover from adverse impacts from human activities. (3) Community policy on the environment should aim at a high level of protection, and contribute to pursuing the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment and of protecting human health. (') OJ C45E 25.2.2003, p. 127. (3 O] C 220, 16.9.2003, p. 39. () O] C 244, 10.10.2003, p. 31. (%  Opinion of the European Parliament of 21 October 2003 (O] C 82 E, 1.4.2004, p. 115). Council Common Position of 20 December 2004 (OJ C 111 E, 11.5.2005, p. 1) and Position of the European Parliament of 10 May 2005 (not yet published in the Official Journal). European Parliament Legislative Resolution of 18 January 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 20 December 2005. ) In December 2000, the Commission adopted a Com- munication to the European Parliament and the Council on the development of a new bathing water policy and initiated a large-scale consultation of all interested and involved parties. The main outcome of this consultation was general support for the development of a new Directive based on the latest scientific evidence and paying particular attention to wider public participation. Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme (°) con- tains a commitment to ensuring a high level of protection of bathing water, including by revising Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975 concerning the quality of bathing water (°). Pursuant to the Treaty, in preparing policy on the environment the Community is, inter alia, to take account of available scientific and technical data. This Directive should use scientific evidence in implementing the most reliable indicator parameters for predicting microbiolo- gical health risk and to achieve a high level of protection. Further epidemiological studies should be undertaken urgently concerning the health risks associated with bathing, particularly in fresh water. In order to increase efficiency and wise use of resources, this Directive needs to be closely coordinated with other Community legislation on water, such as Council Directives 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban  waste-water  treatment ('), 91/676/EEC  of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (%) and Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (°). OJ L 242, 10.9.2002, p. 1. O] L 31, 521976, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 807/2003 (O] L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 36). OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1). OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1. Directive as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003. OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1. Directive as amended by Decision No 2455/2001/EC (O] L 331, 15.12.2001, p. 1).