A total of 433 samples were taken during the 2011 bathing season and showed 33 or 69% of the sites to have water that also complies with the more stringent guide values.

"The coastal sites had the highest water quality last year, with 95% meeting the guide values," Mojca Dobnikar Tehovnik of the Environment Agency told the press.

Irena Rejec Brancelj of the Environment Directorate at the Agriculture and Environment Ministry said that the quality of the water at bathing sites in Slovenia has been improving in recent years.

Some problems are present at inland bathing sites, half of which failed to reach guideline values because of pollution caused by agriculture and towns.

While the inland record and the high share of inland bating sites puts Slovenia in the bottom half of EU member states when it comes to bathing water quality, it is among the few members where all sites meet mandatory standards.