Shellfish Waters Directive

Directive 79/923/EEC of the Council of 30 October 1979 concerning the quality required of shellfish waters. It concerns the quality of shellfish waters and applies to those coastal and brackish waters designated by the Member States as needing protection or improvement in order to support shellfish life and growth (bivalve and gastropod molluscs) and thus to contribute to the high quality of shellfish products directly edible to human beings. Member States shall determine the values of parameters applicable to shellfish waters and which are listed in the Annex to this Directive. This directive was transcribed into French law by Decree of 12/19/1991, which also transcribed other directives (bathing waters, fish life, etc). Directive 2006/113/EC of 12 December 2006 concerning the quality required of shellfish waters replaced Directive 79/923/EEC without changing fundamental provisions. Article 22 of the Water Framework Directive plans the repeal of the Directive on the quality required of shellfish waters as of 22 December 2013. This directive indeed includes the requirements for the quality of shellfish waters among its provisions on analysis and protection of river basins.