Dear Water Europe friends,
Another month of great results delivered with our Expert Groups engaged in producing inspiring webinars and with our community involved in key consultations, shaping the future of Europe’s water policy. In February alone, we had five Expert Group webinars organised, alongside two important consultations with our members on the Digitalisation Action Plan and the forthcoming revision of the Water Framework Directive.
In this context in which competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and simplification have emerged as key words, the announced revision of the Water Framework Directive represents a opportunity to further contribute to building a Water-Smart Society. Topics such as digitalisation, workforce skills, water reuse, and transboundary cooperation, extensively discussed during Water Innovation Europe 2025, continue to provide drivers for a water-smart future in Europe.
Earlier this week, the European Commission hosted the first stakeholder consultation event on the upcoming Water Resilience Research & Innovation Strategy, during the Mission Ocean Forum and the European Ocean Days 2026. Commissioner Jessika Roswall was present at the event which marked the beginning of an important dialogue. For our community, this is far more than a consultation. It represents a strategic opportunity to influence how Europe defines its priorities for water research and innovation, mobilises investment, and accelerates the deployment of solutions that will support the transition towards a Water-Smart Society and Economy. Water Europe actively contributed to this process by identifying shared priorities and providing structured, evidence-based input.
In the meantime, we have opened registrations for Water Market Europe 2026, which will take place on 16 April in Brussels. This year’s event focuses on Digital Twins and data management as key enablers for accelerating innovation uptake and market deployment in the water sector. The event is supported by the EU-funded project IDEATION.
It will be a great occasion to showcase solutions and explore business opportunities around Digital Twins and advanced data management. We look forward to welcoming you there and remember all this is part of one process. A process of collective engagement and collaboration that drives the transformation of Europe’s water sector.
