Today, some 65 million people in Europe live in countries vulnerable to water scarcity. In response to these challenges, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has developed the Blue Deal strategy, which aims to protect and sustainably manage water resources. In the context of these activities, on September 24, 2024. the inaugural edition of the Blue Deal Congress took place in Warsaw. An analysis of the event provides valuable insights into the essence of the Blue Deal strategy.

Blue Deal Congress debates

The first edition of the Blue Deal Congress brought together representatives of national and European institutions and representatives of various sectors, from finance to energy. The event was organized by the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs. The Congress became a platform for developing common solutions to the challenges of increasing water shortages faced by member countries, including Poland.

The event’s program included three debates that focused on the following issues: financing of investments under the EU Blue Deal, the role of water in the energy transition, and water for agriculture – the competitiveness of the European economy in the face of upcoming droughts. The wide range of topics made it possible to comprehensively discuss the issue of sustainable management of water resources and to present concrete solutions for the protection and efficient use of water. The diversity of perspectives of congress participants enriched the discussion and allowed for in-depth analysis of the topics covered.

The event culminated with the screening of Ewa Ewart’s documentary To the Last Drop, which vividly highlighted the key role of water in human life and the importance of protecting it.

Wodne Sprawy Blue Deal Congress 3
pic. Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs

Financing of investments related to the EU Blue Deal

The variety of issues covered and expert perspectives provided Blue Deal Congress participants with access to the latest knowledge and innovative solutions in the area of water resources management. In the face of the need to take measures to improve water availability and counter extreme water scarcity events, numerous investments are crucial. In this regard, special importance at the congress was given to a panel discussion on financing initiatives under the EU Blue Deal.

The debate was attended by: Magdalena Rzeczkowska – Director of the FPP Brussels Office; Tomasz Wojtczak – Managing Director, Amiblu Poland; Waldemar Jastrzemski – Senior Economist, European Investment Bank; Mateusz Szczurek – Member of the Management Board, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego; Andriy Zaripov – Project Manager, Sustainable EU Finance, International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group; Agata Liwska-Goloś – Expert, National Center for Research and Development. Agnieszka Hobot – editor-in-chief of Water Matters – acted as moderator .

The debate discussed not only the prospects of the financial sector in the context of the implementation of the Blue Deal, but also regulatory issues. Attention was drawn to the need to create an appropriate legal framework and implement mechanisms that will encourage the involvement of the financial sector in Blue Deal projects. Experts stressed that the huge resources – 400 billion euros – that the European Union plans to allocate to counter water deficits on the continent must be allocated prudently and responsibly to effectively prevent a water crisis. The discussion also covered the potential benefits for companies that choose to invest in Blue Deal projects, highlighting the opportunities for growth and innovation arising from these initiatives.

Wodne Sprawy Blue Deal Congress 2
pic. Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs

Participants in the debate unanimously stressed that the fight against water scarcity requires not only financial support from the EU budget and the national budgets of member states, but also the involvement of private capital. To achieve this, it is necessary to implement a number of systemic changes that will enable the creation of appropriate instruments for financing water-related investments. An important demand is also to include in these measures solutions that favor water recovery and conservation, with the aim of encouraging such initiatives. This is a model that has successfully supported the development of renewable energy sources in recent years. Expansion and modernization of water and sewage infrastructure also remains a priority, as network water losses in Poland currently reach up to 30 percent.

Water is an underestimated resource, both in terms of the need for rational management and in terms of the potential of water investments. On the one hand, this is due to the ubiquity of this resource, and on the other, to investment opportunities that are not fully realized, lack of sufficient sources of financing, but also insufficient dissemination among entrepreneurs of ways to manage water more efficiently and closer to nature. The Blue Deal can therefore become a response to these challenges, and the appropriate targeting of national priorities will not only directly support entrepreneurs, but will contribute to the protection of local and regional water ecosystems – Agnieszka Hobot summarized the debate.

A reminder of what the Blue Deal is

The Blue Deal Congress is an important event, both nationally and in Europe. The creation of the strategy itself was guided by an attempt to increase the protection, more efficient use and sustainable management of water resources. For details on its main objectives, see the article: Blue Deal declaration officially announced. What is the Blue Deal all about? In practice, the idea is to make water a priority and access to it a basic human right, according to the UN position. Water management should therefore not be part of the Green Deal, but an equivalent and separate strategy.

Which does not change the fact that it is necessary to maintain synergies between the two strategies and take immediate action, as confirmed by the words of Pietro Francesco de Lotto, chairman of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change. Industrial Change at the European Economic and Social Committee.During the Blue Deal conference, he stated that: It’s high time to move from words to action. The EU authorities have understood that everything must be done to save the Community from the catastrophe resulting from the shortage of water, which is essential for both societies and economies to function. I therefore welcome the appointment of a special Commissioner for Water. Water, and for the EU institutions to take comprehensive, strategic action on the management of this key resource. Member states and individual regions of the Union must also demonstrate similar mobilization.


pic. main: Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs

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