The European Economic and Social committee (EESC) has been the first EU body calling on the European Commission to make water a strategic political priority for the EU. A year ago, we presented our call for an EU Blue Deal, a comprehensive set of recommendations for a sustainable water policy for Europe for the years to come. A lot has happened in the water policy area since then.
Our call has been joined by the MEP Water Group and many other Members of the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions and many other active stakeholders representing industry and organised civil society, who recognise the pressing need to tackle the water crisis with more action at EU level. Many EU countries are also waking up to this urgent challenge, and are calling for a holistic EU approach to ensure water resilience.
The Water Resilience Initiative announced by the European Commission for 2024 was postponed ahead of the EU elections due to political sensitivities around the EU Green Deal. Instead, the EU Green week saw the launch of the #WaterWiseEU campaign to raise awareness on water-related issues. But awareness-raising is not enough; creating real, meaningful change requires political leadership and an ambitious, top-level strategy on water. This is the essence of the EU Blue Deal.
Following the announcements for the new Commission, we can say that our work is bearing fruit: water will be given a more prominent role in Von der Leyen’s second term, with a Commissioner in charge of the environment, water resilience and circular economy. A specific Water Resilience Strategy has been announced as a key policy for the next mandate. Furthermore, in June 2024, the Commission gave its green light to a new Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC) on water to be launched in 2026 by the European Institute for Technology (EIT). We are pleased to see that this Water KIC includes also freshwater in its priority areas together with the marine and maritime sectors.
At the start of the new political cycle, we expect the European Commission to deliver the political ambition, concrete tools and financing needed to address Europe’s water challenges now and in the long term.
The EESC therefore stands by its position: The EU needs a comprehensive and standalone water strategy, with dedicated funding, distinct from the Green Deal but complementary to it. Without water, none of our other policy objectives will be achieved.
Now is the right time to act; according to a recent Eurobarometer, a majority of European citizens consider that the EU should propose additional measures to address water-related problems. Furthermore, a new European Citizens’ Initiative to safeguard water resilience and water quality is about to be launched. This widespread citizen and civil society support represents an important source of validation for our common work ahead.
Thanks to stakeholders like Water Europe, we have achieved a lot, and we will pursue our goal engaging with the new European Parliament, with Member States and the active stakeholder community. Together, we continue to push for an ambitious EU approach on water, addressed in all EU policies to ensure water resilience and sustainability and to secure the competitiveness of our economies.
