EU Advocate General backs pharma in fight over wastewater treatment cost

An EU Advocate General has recommended annulling part of a directive that obliges drug and cosmetics makers to fund at least 80% of wastewater treatment costs.

The directive, which took effect early last year, was intended to protect human health and the environment by requiring a "quaternary treatment stage" to strip micropollutants, many of which come from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, from urban wastewater.

If the recommendation is adopted, the industry could avoid a financial burden that was projected to cost billions, with the original plan estimating about $7.5 billion in annual savings by 2040 from cleaner water.

Companies would no longer need to meet the contribution deadline of December 2028, marking a regulatory win for the pharmaceutical sector.