The European Parliament ENVI Committee Meeting discussed the Water Resilience Strategy

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The ENVI Committee of the European Parliament held a crucial discussion on January 27, 2025, focusing on Europe’s pressing water challenges and the development of a comprehensive Water Resilience Strategy (WRS).

MEP Bajada presented the six pillars of its report for the resolution on the Water Resilience Strategy: efficiency, pollution control at the source, climate adaptation, financing, innovation, and cross-border cooperation.

Water Europe welcomes this six pillars and the importance to develop a Water Resilience Strategy going beyond the water acquis by looking at water as a cross-sectoral and legislative dossier. We also supported the point made by Ms. Bentele – chairman of the MEP Water Group – stressing the importance of the digitalisation of the water sector and the need to explore the potential of water reuse and efficiency in Buildings.

In our our aim to achieve a Water-Smart Society, Water Europe encourages the European institutions to look at water sustainability, resilience and security by investing in circular water, multiple water, resilience of infrastructure, digital water, and inclusive governance.

In our recent study, We stress the socio-economic benefits of investing in water. Indeed,  Europe needs a strategic investments of €255 billion by 2030 to ensure compliance with EU water directives. Such investment could  save €3 billion annually and create 13,000 jobs. In this context, Water Europe call for the creation of a Water Transition Fund in the upcoming MFF to support industries and local and regional authorities in deploying water-efficient technologies to meet current and future water challenges.

During the debate the following point were stressed by the experts and the members of the European Parliament:

  • Legislative Initiatives: A call for a drought directive and binding efficiency targets was made to mitigate the EU’s increasing water scarcity challenges.
  • Nature-Based Solutions (NBS): Experts advocated for NBS to increase water availability, enhance forest ecosystems, and tackle pollution through upstream solutions, particularly in agriculture.
  • Sectoral Synergies: The need to align the WRS with sectoral policies, including agriculture, industry, and biodiversity strategies, was emphasized to ensure sustainable water governance.
  • Innovation and Digitalisation: The importance of digital monitoring systems to detect leaks and ensure water efficiency was highlighted, alongside the role of innovative agricultural practices to reduce water consumption.
  • Funding Framework: Participants stressed the necessity for ambitious financing mechanisms within the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), blending public and private investments with conditionalities for water resilience projects.
  • Addressing PFAS Pollution: Reducing PFAS concentration, which affects 71% of EU waters, is critical to achieving the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
  • Cross-Border Coordination: Effective cooperation among Member States was urged to implement preventive measures and manage shared water resources efficiently.
  • Source-to-Sea Approach: The connection between the WRS andthe Ocean Pact to restore water cycles and enhance free-flowing rivers was mentioned.

Additionally, the committee acknowledges the importance of addressing chemical pollution, including PFAS. Water Europe considers that

the future lies in transitioning to solutions which are free of toxic PFAS, enhancing water safety and sustainability while minimizing socio-economic and ecological burdens.

Lastly Veronica Manfredi, Director  Zero Pollution, Directorate General Environment announced that the Call for Evidence is expected to be published on February 4, 2025.

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