【By Chen Sijia, Observer Net】"The loopholes in the EU bureaucracy may lead to Europeans only being able to take cold showers." According to a report by the Financial Times on October 9, an EU drinking water regulation will come into effect in 2027. However, due to several materials crucial for water heater tanks not being included in the EU's list of authorized substances, EU residents may face the risk of not being able to take hot showers.

The report states that the upcoming EU drinking water directive aims to protect consumers and improve water quality standards, but the European Commission seems to have overlooked the fact that water heater tanks also contain potable water, and did not include high-temperature-resistant metals hafnium and zirconium in the list of authorized substances. If manufacturers do not comply with the list of authorized substances, they may face penalties such as fines.

The European appliance lobbying group Applia estimates that if hafnium and zirconium are not recognized as safe for household use, over 90% of water heater tanks in the EU would no longer be able to be sold.

Paolo Falcioni, the general director of Applia, said that hafnium has been used in enameled tanks for decades, "and it is absolutely safe to use." He explained that mixing hafnium and zirconium in enamel would cause cracking, and hot water would not be hot.

Falcioni said that alternatives such as steel and copper cost four to five times more than hafnium, and these additional costs would be passed on to consumers, increasing the economic pressure on European households.

Financial Times

Jérôme Martel, the regulatory affairs manager of French heating and ventilation company Groupe Atlantic, said: "The impact will be huge." Italian water heater manufacturer Ariston also raised the same concerns.

In recent years, European companies have been calling on the European Commission to simplify regulations against the backdrop of rising energy prices, US tariffs, and Chinese competition, arguing that current regulations only exacerbate their difficulties. However, Falcioni pointed out that existing EU regulations are complex, and unless the European Commission pays close attention to industry issues, more similar oversights like hafnium being excluded may occur.

The European Commission stated that it is up to member states to decide whether to notify the Commission to include hafnium in the list of authorized substances, but so far no member state has submitted an application. The Financial Times reported that EU member states can also approve the use of hafnium at the national level, but this approach is more time-consuming and costly compared to EU-level approval.

The European Commission previously informed European companies that they could apply for toxicological assessments to obtain approval. However, the European industry points out that this process is also too time-consuming, and during this period, companies will have to make costly adjustments to their production lines. A senior industry executive said: "This will put European manufacturers at a serious disadvantage compared to competitors outside the EU."

Falcioni warned that unclear regulatory measures in areas such as water heaters could drive foreign investors away from Europe, "some companies are willing to move production to Europe, but in this case of lack of certainty, they may not do so."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559202299081294345/

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