Annual Report 2024-2025

Water Europe

Annual Report
2024-2025

Hans Goossens

Water Europe President

Durk Krol

Water Europe Executive Director

As we have reached the midpoint of 2025, we find ourselves at a decisive moment: water has finally secured a firm place at the heart of the European political agenda. The launch of the Water Resilience Strategy marks a historic milestone, acknowledging that water is not merely a resource but a strategic enabler of Europe’s economy, security, and future.

Yet, this recognition must be matched by real investment. Our newly released White Paper on Water Financing underscores a crucial truth: the Water-Smart Economy is not an abstract concept – it is a financial imperative. By embedding the true value of water into the way we grow, produce, and invest, Europe stands to unlock nearly €1 trillion in economic value across key sectors by 2030. At the same time, water-related investment is essential to bridge the €255 billion gap required for utilities to meet EU standards.

In this pivotal year, our flagship events have played a vital role in catalyzing this transformation. We look forward to Water Innovation Europe 2025 this October, following the success of two powerful editions of Water Knowledge Europe and a high-impact Water Market Europe, all of which were hosted outside Brussels. This shift is not merely geographic. It reflects our commitment to broadening engagement and ensuring that water dialogue is not confined to the corridors of EU institutions. By bringing these events closer to communities across Europe, we affirm our vision of an inclusive Water-Smart Society, one that mobilizes people, perspectives, and partnerships at every level.

Internally, we have taken equally important steps to strengthen our structure. A new collaboration matrix has been in place, uniting 15 Expert Groups and three dedicated Communities of Practice to enhance cross-cutting innovation and policy coherence. Additionally, we are preparing for a new chapter in our organisational journey as we relocate offices this summer, signifying renewal and flexibility.

2024–2025 has been a year of change, externally and internally. A change that we welcome. A change that we embrace. This report captures the momentum, the challenges, and the collective achievements that are shaping the pathway to a Water-Smart Society! Hope you enjoy it!

Water Europe welcomes the Water Resilience Strategy

The Water Resilience Strategy is built on the Water Europe community’s longstanding and persistent commitment and mobilisation. Through continuous advocacy, co-creation, anchored in our network of Water-Oriented Living Labs and aligned with European initiatives such as the Water4All Partnership, and sustained efforts to build political momentum, we have helped make this vision a reality.

This strategy reflects a growing understanding among EU institutions and Member States that resilient water management is foundational to our competitiveness and wellbeing. As climate shocks, pollution, and water scarcity intensify across the continent, the strategy sets a clear course: repair Europe’s broken water cycle, build a Water-Smart Economy, and guarantee clean, affordable water for all Europeans.

“Water Europe has championed this strategic shift for the past four years. With water demand from critical industries expected to triple by 2030, and 29% of the EU already facing water scarcity, this strategy is not just timely, it is essential. Moreover, our water infrastructures are under increasing pressure, and requires over €255 billion in investment to comply with EU standards. If we are to secure a water-smart future, we must join forces and invest in water today.”

“The EU Water Resilience Strategy can help drive the adoption of sustainable water management across key industries, ultimately contributing to the resilience of the European economy, security, and environment. Continued collaboration and dialogue are imperative to shaping a truly water-resilient and competitive Europe.”

"The Water Resilience Strategy is a timely and vital response to the systemic vulnerabilities outlined in the Niinistö Report and the EU Preparedness Strategy. It underscores that resilient infrastructure is critical to Europe’s ability to cope with climate extremes, water stress, and related risks. To move from strategy to reality, we must prioritise investments that embed resilience across the entire water cycle, ensuring our systems are not only efficient but also robust, adaptive, and future-proof. The time for resilience is now, through coordinated implementation, innovation, and long-term vision."

"The Water Resilience Strategy is very good news for Europe, and its success now depends entirely on how well we implement it. The solutions are already available on the market. For instance, water reuse will play a key role. By deploying smart circular water solutions, we can reduce both drinking water consumption and wastewater discharge in buildings by 25% to 45%. We should just go ahead and do it!"

"The Water Resilience strategy is making water efficiency a priority for distribution networks. Over half of the distribution network is more than 40 years old and the current level of investment is unsustainable. Now is the time to bring water-smart thinking into every pipe, every building, and every city plan!"

Our socio-economic study called for €255 billion in water investments

With its socio-economic study, Water Europe called for €255 billion in water investments in the next six years to protect Europe’s economy and ensure environmental sustainability. The study on the Value of EU Investing in Water stressed the need for more robust water management to address the growing threat of water scarcity, which affects 38% of the EU population and jeopardizes key industries such as semiconductors, data centers, renewable hydrogen, and electric vehicle battery production.

Four Key Sectors

The case for investing in water in Europe is clear. €255b is needed for water supply and sanitation by 2030 to implement key EU legislation and support climate mitigation efforts. €228b is also needed for water infrastructure to treat wastewater and reduce agricultural need for freshwater. Additionally, strong investment is an opportunity for water optimization in strategic sectors - from renewables and hydrogen to semiconductors. Only by fostering an environment of innovation and public-private collaboration can we secure a water-secure future for Europe that aligns with our collective climate goals and industrial ambitions.

The political momentum in the EU opens up a clear window of opportunity to rethink our model of social and economic development, our prosperity. The Letta Report (April 2024) on the Single Market and the Draghi Report on the EU competitiveness and reindustrialization are critical milestones in this process. Whereas the former acknowledges the relevance of water for the EU’s economy and society; the latter does not. This socio-economic study is a great complement to the Draghi report in gathering critical evidence on the role of water for essential economic activities in contemporary Europe. The economy is embedded in, and dependent on, nature. We would rather not downplay water.

Water is a crucial part of life and our economy. Sometimes, it is hard to notice the worth of water when there is enough (of sufficient quality) and not too much. Unfortunately, we more and more see droughts and floods disrupting our lives and economy. Making it painfully clear how crucial water management is. To guarantee enough clean water for the future, we must act on climate adaptation and control at source of water pollution. This report underlines the importance of water and puts numbers on the socio-economic value of water. Hopefully, this will draw attention to necessity for climate adaptation and to keep our waters clean.

This study conveys in a very detailed and structured way just how critical water is in enabling growth, profitability and competitiveness across Europe. Despite this reality, in many areas the rate of growth of water-related risks is currently outpacing the efforts being made to mitigate them. This highlights the importance of making water a political priority, the need for additional insights necessary to protecting water bodies and how investing in water saving measures and technologies, represents compelling value for money.

Making water a priority

From making water a top EU priority to safeguarding key legislation, Water Europe led impactful advocacy in 2024-2025. We influenced high-level dialogues -Antwerp and Roswall study day – and shaped EU policy through pivotal publications on PFAS, WRS, and public procurement.

Our proactive stance ensured water’s prominence in the WRS Communication, INI report, and key foresight reports. We relaunched the MEP Water Group, championed the EPR scheme for UWWTD, and reinforced ties with the new Commission and EESC. Eleven strategic project policy briefs amplified our voice, positioning Water Europe as the leading force in shaping Europe’s water-smart future.

Activities

Study day with Commissioner Roswall

Antwerp Dialogue on water

Contribution to the INI report of the European Parliament on the Water Resilience Strategy

Meetings with the new Commission

Relaunch of the MEP Water group with Ms Bentele

Protect the new Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

The revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive represents a major step toward a water-smart Europe. By promoting water reuse, nature-based solutions, data transparency, resource efficiency, and circular approaches, the directive addresses today’s pressing wastewater challenges. The inclusion of Extended Producer Responsibility and quaternary treatment has faced legal pushback from some economic sectors, threatening to dilute the other benefits. Water Europe stands up to defend the directive, emphasising its importance for driving innovation and ensuring resilient, water-smart water systems across Europe.

Key publications where Water Europe vision is mentioned

EU Project Publications

Driving collaboration forward

Over the past year, the Water Europe Collaboration Programme strengthened its impact by introducing Expert Groups and Communities of Practice, evolving from the former Working Groups and Vision Leadership Teams. The programme convened two Water Knowledge Europe (WKE) editions, in December 2024 in Brussels and in May 2025 in Warsaw, offering insights into new HEU funding calls and supporting the formation of new consortia.

Clustering activities led to the delivery of 10 Water Projects Europe events and the coordination of the ZeroPollution4WaterCluster and the AlternativeWaters4Climate Cluster. The programme also supported the publication of 3 White Papers: Water Smart Industry, Water Management and Ownership for Improving Water-Related Biodiversity, and Advancing investment in Water Resilience: a strategic pathway towards a Water-Smart Society and Economy.

Activities & Outcomes

+500 stakeholders

Numerous stakeholders were engaged in our two flagship Water Knowledge Europe editions. This year, we held two WKE editions in Brussels in December 2024 and Warsaw in May 2025.

+10 WPE sessions

Our strong project clustering activities led to ten Water Projects Europe editions organised back to back to other events, paving the way for dynamic synergies across the EU-funded projects.

3 White Papers released

The white papers included: Water-Smart Industry, Water Management & Ownership for Improving water-related biodiversity & Advancing investment in Water resilience.

Launch of new collaboration matrix

This year saw the launch of 15 Expert Groups and 3 Communities of Practice that have already prepared their work plans for the period ahead.

New Zero Pollution 4 Water Cluster publication

The ZP4WC, led by Water Europe, launched its Case Study Inventory, covering 32 case studies across 18 countries.

Implementing our Vision

Water Europe achieved its key milestones across its implementation programme over the previous year. The WOLLs strategy advanced through the Water4All partnership, with the launch of the WOLLs Atlas, the expansion to 26 labs, the start of the WOLLs Network Webinar Series in April 2025 and the publication of the Notebook Series #3 BLUEBOOK on creating Water Europe Living Labs (WELLS).

The Water Europe Marketplace (WEMP) was restructured, introduced Product Calls, and grew with a 55% rise in active users. WME2024 spotlighted resource recovery from wastewater. Water Europe also played a leading role in supporting the EC DG EAC and the EIt for the development of the Water KIC, contributing to EU-level meetings and the preparation of a key report ahead of a final decision in mid-2025.

Activities

Publication of the WOLLs Atlas

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Launch of the WOLLs Network Webinar Series

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Release of the Notebook Series #3

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Structural overhaul of the Water Europe Marketplace

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Launch of Product Calls and improved user interface on WEMP

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Key Outcomes

+55%

increase in active WEMP users

+55%

increase in active WEMP users

+100

B2B meetings at WME2024

+100

B2B meetings at WME2024

+26

Operational WOLLs

+26

Operational WOLLs

Key input

to Water KIC ahead of Parliament decision in mid-2025

Key input

to Water KIC ahead of Parliament decision in mid-2025

Turning ideas into actions through our
EU-funded projects

The Projects Pillar has played a key role in connecting science, policy, and innovation towards the achievement of Water Europe’s vision of a Water-Smart Society. Over the past yearEU-funded projects have provided the scientific grounds for Water Europe’s advocacy efforts and policy briefs, directly contributing to the Water Resilience Strategy.

These projects also enabled the expansion of the Water Europe Marketplace and the development of the Water-Oriented Living Labs (WOLLs) network. Furthermore, they supported the Collaboration Programme by facilitating stakeholder engagement, project clustering, and knowledge exchange. Through over 30 active projects, the Pillar delivered tangible progress towards a Water-Smart future.

Projects finalised

New projects

Ongoing projects

Watch our projects' videos & interviews

Reaching out to an online community of 60k stakeholders

At the heart of Water Europe’s communications pillar lies a strategic commitment to visibility, engagement, and influence. With a growing outreach capacity nearing 60,000 stakeholders across Europe and beyond, we lead impactful dissemination and awareness campaigns that support our advocacy, collaboration, and implementation and projects programmes.

+37.372

+20.000

Followers on our social media

Subscribers in our mailing list

Subscribers

+ 0

Followers

+ 0

Followers

+ 0

Followers

+ 0

745 total subscribers

6.847 total followers

28.141 total followers

1.639 total followers

Water-Oriented Living Labs interviews

Awareness raising campaigns

Expanding the WE Community through shared principles

Water Europe members

WE ambassadors and EG members

New members since June 2024

Collaborative approach

We believe in the power of networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across the entire water value chain.

Financially & economically sustainable approach

We believe in solutions and approaches that encompass a good balance between the cost and the societal, economic and environmental value that they generate.

Societal responsibility

We embrace a holistic and systems approach in addressing the water challenges, driven by its WE vision, that benefit society at large.

Evidence-based & technology-neutral approach

We focus on results, and our activities are driven by the latest research, broad expertise available in the pool of the Water Europe community, and the outcomes of EU research and innovation projects.

Ambitious & pragmatic approach

We are ambitious in our objectives and pragmatic when it comes to the implementation and execution of every single step that can lead to achieving our vision for a Water-Smart Society.

Water Europe