On 18 February 2026, the General Court of the European Union dismissed legal challenges from pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry groups regarding the Extended Producer Responsibility provisions introduced in the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. According to the European Commission’s impact assessment, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics account for approximately 92% of micropollutants entering municipal wastewater.
With the litigation outcome, the Extended Producer Responsibility is now entering the implementation phase. A legal foundation has been established, and Member States are now required to create mechanisms for cost allocation, measurement, and fee collection. However, industry groups have signaled that they will continue to challenge the Extended Producer Responsibility in domestic courts and will lobby for more favorable cost-sharing formulas during the implementation process.
