The European Union’s Drinking Water Directive (DWD) is designed to protect human health by guaranteeing that water remains safe and uncontaminated from the source to the tap. Under the Directive, every starting substance, composition or constituent used in materials and products that come into contact with drinking water must be included in an EU-wide “positive list” adopted at Union level.
Established under Article 11 of the Directive, this positive list is a legally binding authorisation schedule. It specifies, for each material family (organic, metallic, cement-based, ceramic and other inorganic materials), the exact substances that may be used, their permitted concentration ranges, strict conditions of use and maximum migration limits into water, thereby controlling chemical safety at the source.
The list is organised in four separate Annexes, each dealing with a distinct material category:
Annex I – European Positive List of starting substances for organic materials
Annex II – European Positive List of compositions for metallic materials
Annex III – European Positive List of organic constituents for cement-based materials
Annex IV – European Positive List of compositions for enamels, ceramics and other inorganic materials
Any manufacturer or supplier wishing to add, update or delete an entry must follow the prescribed procedure: file a notification of intent with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and, within 12 months, submit a complete application dossier. The substance may be used only after a favourable scientific assessment and formal inclusion in the list.

EU Positive List of the DWD is available