"Smiley" system for safe bathing

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Oct 2003

The European Parliament has voted today to update and improve popular EU legislation on the quality of bathing water. A new 'smiley' symbol will give better, clearer, information to people swimming or doing watersports.

The new symbols will indicate if the water at a particular beach has tested free from chemical and biological hazards and therefore meets EU health standards.

Better information leads to better beaches says Bill Newton Dunn MEP

Liberal Democrat Euro MP for the East Midlands, Bill Newton Dunn, commented:

"The 'smiley' is easy to recognise and will be great for East Midlands holidaymakers visiting not only British beaches, such as Skegnes and Maplethorpe, but also those in other EU countries like Spain, Italy or Greece. We'll have the confidence to have fun in the sea - even if we don't speak the language!

"In the old EU law, the information on water quality related to last year. Bathers will now get up to date information on conditions. Also, within a week of becoming available, test results must be posted on the Internet.

"Better information will lead to better beaches - local councils will compete to show that their beaches are cleaner than those of their rivals. This has got to be good for all of us, wherever we holiday in the EU."

ENDS