EU Water Resilience Strategy – Work Commences

In July 2024, the European Commission integrated the issue of water resilience into the EU’s strategic agenda for the 2024-2029 period. Ursula von der Leyen justified this decision by highlighting the need for better water resource management, addressing increasingly frequent shortages, and enhancing the EU’s competitive edge in the innovative water sector. Work on preparing the action strategy in this area will begin in the coming weeks.

The EU’s response to Europe’s water crisis

Responsibility for drafting the Water Resilience Strategy has been assigned to Jessica Roswall, Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience, and Competitive Circular Economy. In an interview with Water News Europe, the new commissioner declared that the document would be finalized by the end of 2025, emphasizing that the EU needs to change its approach to managing, utilizing, and valuing water.

Jessica Roswall also noted that only 37% of surface waters in Europe are in good ecological condition, and just 29% are in good chemical condition. Over the past 30 years, floods across the continent have caused economic damage amounting to €170 billion. Meanwhile, European societies are not adequately prepared to handle the effects of floods and droughts. Decades of unsustainable land use, urbanization, and ecosystem degradation have put immense pressure on water resources, further exacerbated by climate change and a continuous increase in water demand. The Water Resilience Strategy aims to ensure food, energy, and economic security for Europeans while preparing for future climate challenges.

Step-by-step water resilience strategy

Commissioner Roswall outlined how work on the new EU initiative would progress. The European Commission will soon publish reports evaluating how effectively individual Member States are implementing EU water management regulations. Along with the report on the state of waters published last year by the European Environment Agency, these will form the foundation for developing the Water Resilience Strategy. The process will also include extensive consultations with stakeholders from the agriculture, infrastructure, industry, energy, spatial planning, and public health sectors

Jessica Roswall quoted surveys showing that 75% of EU citizens believe the Union should do more on water issues. The Water Resilience Strategy aims to address these expectations by incorporating the opinions of local governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and citizens themselves. All these groups will be invited to submit their suggestions and feedback.

Ultimately, the Water Resilience Strategy is designed to stimulate public and private investments in smart water management. Additional support will come from EU cohesion programs and agricultural development funds. Private investors will be supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

When asked about specific figures, the commissioner stated that joint annual investments by the EU, EIB, and national governments in the water economy currently amount to €63 billion. Additional funds are activated through the European Solidarity Fund in the case of natural disasters—since 2021, €800 million has been distributed under this framework. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) financial instrument has increased the overall budget by another €1.6 billion. However, a significant investment gap remains, which must be filled by public and private resources. Financing models will be an integral part of the Water Resilience Strategy, which, in turn, will open up new opportunities for business development. Europe must start capitalizing on its competitive advantage derived from its vast innovation potential in the water economy.