Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union {SEC(2007) 993} {SEC(2007) 996}
Date: 2007-07-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU waters, conservation of resources, drought, environmental protection, environmental research, fixing of prices, information system, use of water

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 18.7.2007 
COM(2007) 414 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union 

{SEC(2007) 993} 
{SEC(2007) 996} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union  

(Text with EEA relevance) 

Access to good quality water in sufficient quantity is fundamental to the daily lives of every 
human  being  and  to  most  economic  activities.  But  water  scarcity  and  droughts  have  now 
emerged as a major challenge – and climate change is expected to make matters worse. This is 
a worldwide problem, and the European Union is not spared. 

Over the past thirty years, droughts have dramatically increased in number and intensity in the 
EU. The number of areas and people affected by droughts went up by almost 20% between 
1976 and 2006. One of the most widespread droughts occurred in 2003 when over 100 million 
people and a third of the EU territory were affected. The cost of the damage to the European 
economy  was  at  least  €  8.7  billion.  The  total  cost  of  droughts  over  the  past  thirty  years 
amounts to € 100 billion. The yearly average cost quadrupled over the same period1.  

While "drought" means a temporary decrease in water availability due for instance to rainfall 
deficiency, "water scarcity" means that water demand exceeds the water resources exploitable 
under sustainable conditions. At least 11% of the European population and 17% of its territory 
have  been  affected  by  water  scarcity  to  date.  Recent  trends  show  a  significant  extension  of 
water scarcity across Europe.  

Water scarcity and droughts are therefore not just a matter for water managers. They have a 
direct  impact  on  citizens  and  economic  sectors  which  use  and  depend  on  water,  such  as 
agriculture,  tourism,  industry,  energy  and  transport.  In  particular,  hydropower  which  is  a 
carbon  neutral  source  of  energy,  heavily  depends  on  water  availability.  Water  scarcity  and 
droughts also have broader impacts on natural resources at large through negative side-effects 
on biodiversity, water quality, increased risks of forest fires and soil impoverishment. 

In  a  context  where  changes  in  climate  are  foreseen  in  spite  of  significant  EU  mitigation 
efforts,  this  trend  is  expected  to  continue  and  even  worsen,  as  underscored  in  the  recently 
adopted  Commission  Green  Paper  on  adaptation  to  climate  change.  According  to  the 
Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change2,  climate  change  would  bring  water  scarcity  to 
between 1.1 and 3.2 billion people if temperatures rose by 2 to 3° C. Drought affected areas 
are likely to increase in extent. In these circumstances, it has become an EU priority to devise 
effective drought risk management strategies. 

On 10 January 2007 the Commission adopted an Energy and Climate package to guide the EU 
towards a sustainable, competitive and secure  energy  policy.  One  of its  central  themes  is to 
tackle  the  energy  challenge  by  first  making  an  effort  to  use  energy  more  efficiently  before 
looking at alternatives. This approach is also valid for water scarcity and droughts. In order to 

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http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/pdf/1st_report.pdf 
IPPC WGII Fourth Assessment Report, 6 April 2007. 

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come to grips with water scarcity and droughts, the first priority is to move towards a water-
efficient  and  water-saving  economy.  Saving  water  also  means  saving  energy,  as  extracting, 
transporting and treating water comes at a high energy cost. In this context, it is essential to 
improve  water  demand  management.  Just  like  energy,  water  is  necessary  for  all  human, 
economic  and  social  activities.  A  wide  range  of  policy  options  will  therefore  need  to  be 
considered. 

Against the above background, this Communication presents an initial set of policy options at 
European, national and regional levels to address and mitigate the challenge posed by water 
scarcity  and  drought  within  the  Union.  The  Commission  remains  fully  committed  to 
continuing to address the issue at international level, in particular through the United Nations 
Convention  to  Combat  Desertification  and  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on 
Climate Change.  

This  Communication  also  responds  to  the  request  for  action  on  water  scarcity  and  droughts 
from the Environment Council in June 2006. 

1. 

SETTING THE SCENE  

The following challenges need to be addressed: 

•  Progressing  towards  full  implementation  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive3 
(hereinafter "WFD"), the EU's flagship Directive on water policy, is a priority in order to 
address mismanagement of water resources.  

•  This  issue  is  often  a  result  of  ineffective  water  pricing  policies  which  generally  do  not 
reflect the level of sensitivity of water resources at local level. The ‘user pays’ principle is 
hardly  implemented  beyond  the  sectors  of  drinking  water  supply  and  waste  water 
treatment.  Introducing  this  principle  at  EU  level  would  put  an  end  to  needless  losses  or 
waste, ensuring that water remains available for essential uses across Europe, including all 
parts of transboundary river basins. In other words, it would encourage efficient water use.  

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Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. 

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•  Land-use  planning  is  also  one  of  the  main  drivers  of  water  use.  Inadequate  water 
allocation  between  economic  sectors  results  in  imbalances  between  water  needs  and 
existing  water  resources.  A  pragmatic  shift  is  required  in  order  to  change  policy-making 
patterns and to move forward effective land-use planning at the appropriate levels.  

•  There is huge potential for water saving across Europe. Europe continues to waste at least 
20%4  of  its  water  due  to  inefficiency.  Water  saving  must  become  the  priority  and  all 
possibilities to improve water efficiency must therefore be explored. Policy making should 
be  based  on  a  clear  water  hierarchy.  Additional  water  supply  infrastructures  should  be 
considered as an option when other options have been exhausted, including effective water 
pricing  policy  and  cost-effective  alternatives.  Water  uses  should  also  be  prioritised:  it  is 
clear that public water supply should always be the overriding priority to ensure access to 
adequate water provision. 

•  Further  integration  of  water-related  concerns  into  water-related  sectoral  policies  is 
paramount  in  order  to  move  towards  a  water-saving  culture.  Integration  achievements  at 
EU, national and regional levels vary widely from one sector to another. In general terms, 
there is a lack of consistency and, in some cases, even counter-productive effects on water 
resource protection. 

•  Finally, in order to be fully effective, policy action on water scarcity and droughts needs to 
be based on high-quality knowledge and information on the extent of the challenge and 
projected trends. Existing European and national assessment and monitoring programmes 
are  neither  integrated  nor  complete.  Filling  knowledge  gaps  and  ensuring  data 
comparability  across  the  EU  is  therefore  a  precondition.  In  this  context,  research  has  a 
significant role to play providing knowledge and support to policy making. 

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Ecologic, Report on EU water saving potential, June 2007. 

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2. 

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE: POLICY ORIENTATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION 

It emerges from stakeholder consultations and the proportionate impact assessment carried out 
for this Communication that an integrated approach based on a combination of options would 
be  the  most  appropriate  approach  for  addressing  water  scarcity  and  droughts,  compared  to 
alternatives based on water supply or economic instruments only. 

Further economic and legal analyses will be required in the coming months to specify in detail 
the  potential,  feasibility  and  possible  timeframe  for  each  of  the  options  considered.  Impact 
assessments should be carried out prior to the introduction of any of the proposed measures. 

2.1. 

Putting the right price tag on water 

The issue: 

The Commission actively promotes the use of market-based instruments in an environmental 
context, as underscored by the recently adopted Green Paper on Market-Based Instruments5. 
The existing legal framework in the WFD offers ample room for tackling both water scarcity 
and droughts through such instruments. In spite of the WFD's specific requirements (Article 
9),  economic  instruments  have  not  been  widely  used  by  Member  States  thus  far.  Pricing 
policies that may appear to be very well designed can prove totally ineffective if most water 
abstraction  is  not  even  metered  or  registered  by  the  authorities.  The  WFD  (Article  11) 
requires the implementation of systematic control over water abstraction.  

Way forward: 

At national level, by 2010: 

•  Put  in  place  water  tariffs  based  on  a  consistent  economic  assessment  of  water  uses  and 
water  value,  with  adequate  incentives  to  use  water  resources  efficiently  and  an  adequate 
contribution  of  the  different  water  uses  to  the  recovery  of  the  costs  of  water  services,  in 
compliance  with  WFD  requirements.  The  'user  pays'  principle  needs  to  become  the  rule, 
regardless  of  where  the  water  comes  from.  Nevertheless,  private  households  should, 
irrespective of their available financial resources, have access to adequate water provision.  

•  Enhance efforts to introduce compulsory metering programmes in all water using sectors. 

•  More  broadly,  ensure  full  implementation  of  the  WFD  in  order  to  guarantee  or  recover 

sustainable water resources.  

Good practice: 

In  France,  irrigators  have  to  be  equipped  with  water  meters  whenever  they  go  beyond 
abstraction thresholds. In period 2000-2003, the level of equipment rose from 54% up to 71%, 
representing 85% of the overall irrigated area. 

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Green  Paper  on  market-based  instruments  for  environment  and  related  policy  purposes  -  COM(2007) 
140. 

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2.2. 

Allocating water and water-related funding more efficiently 

2.2.1. 

Improving land-use planning 

The issue: 

The economic development of some river basins can lead to adverse effects on water resource 
availability. Particular attention needs to be paid to river basins facing quasi-permanent water 
stress  or  scarcity.  Existing  EU  policies  have  tended  to  exacerbate  the  sensitivity  of  these 
basins. The widespread development of tourist resorts in sensitive river basins, for instance, 
has led to significant impacts on local water resources. Farming also has significant impacts 
notably  related  to  irrigation.  Over-abstraction  remains  an  issue  also  due  to  incomplete 
decoupling  by  some  Member  States.  Successive  reforms  of  the  CAP  and  in  particular  rural 
development support have already contributed to improving the situation. Future adjustments 
of  the  CAP  and  the  'Health  check'  of  2008  could  provide  opportunities  to  examine  how  to 
further  integrate  water  quantity  issues  in  the  relevant  CAP  instruments.  In  this  context,  it 
should  be  for  instance  considered  to  what  extent  the  CAP  and  the  "Health  check"  of  2008 
could  promote  more  complete  use  of  full  decoupling  and  increased  support  for  water 
management  within  rural  development  programmes.  It  will  be  also  important  to  analyse  the 
impact of the increase in biofuels on water availability. All production including irrigated and 
biomass  production  and  all  economic  activities  should  be  adapted  to  the  amount  of  water 
available locally. This is a key condition for sustainable land-use planning across Europe. 

Way forward: 

At European level: 

•  The increased emphasis on sustainable agriculture over the past decade provides a useful 
platform  for  policy  debate  on  further  progress  in  order  to  increase  water  management 
sustainability. This will be of particular importance in the period up to the implementation 
of the river basin management plans in 2010. 

•  Further assess the inter-linkages between biofuel development and water availability. 

At national level:  

•  Ensure stringent implementation of the Directive6 on Strategic Environment Assessment in 
all economic sectors. Member States still need to strengthen their national procedures and 
ensure  that  the  conditions  attached  to  the  final  decisions  adequately  prevent  any 
environmental impact. 

•  Encourage  Member  States  to  identify  river  basins  which  face  quasi-permanent  or 

permanent water stress or scarcity.  

•  For  those  river  basins,  set  up  appropriate  regulations  to  restore  a  sustainable  balance. 
Voluntary schemes could make a positive contribution and need to be promoted. If results 
prove insufficient in very sensitive areas, compulsory measures on water saving and water 
efficiency  should  be  introduced.  All  measures  will  ultimately  be  part  of  the  WFD 
programmes.  

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Directive 2001/42/EC (OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, p. 30). 

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Good practice: 

In  the  framework  of  the  UN  Convention  to  Combat  Desertification,  Greece  has  issued  a 
National  Action  Programme  which  considers  specific  measures  to  address  imbalances 
between demand and supply. 

2.2.2.  Financing water efficiency 

The issue: 

The potential for water efficiency is not exploited to the fullest extent in the EU. Even though 
they are cost-effective, a number of measures are not taken owing to unaffordability. 

Addressing  the  consequences  of  climate  change  in  particular  water  scarcity  and  droughts  is 
one  of  the  priorities  of  EU  regional  policy  in  the  period  2007-2013.  The  new  legislative 
framework  provides  for  investments  in  infrastructure  related  to  water  management  (storage, 
distribution,  treatment),  clean  and  water-efficient  technologies  as  well  as  risk  prevention 
measures.  

European  funds  and  State  aids  offer  significant  opportunities  to  meet  this  challenge,  but 
budgets are undoubtedly insufficient to duly cover all the issues.  

National  priorities  can  also  be  counterproductive  in  promoting  additional  water  supply 
infrastructure  as  the  primary  option,  going  against  the  logic  of  the  water  hierarchy  and  the 
need  to  support  water-saving  and  efficiency  measures  in  the  first  place.  It  continues  to  be 
essential to ensure that the allocation of funding is sufficiently conditional on independent and 
ex-ante  evidence  of  full  utilisation  of  water  savings  and  efficiency,  effective  water  pricing 
policy and metering, minimum performance of public water supply networks or recovery of 
the costs of projects by the water users concerned. National support measures must also fully 
respect State aid rules where applicable. 

Way forward: 

At EU level: 

•  Refine existing Community strategic guidelines for water infrastructures and in the context 
of the regional and rural development policies, determine whether further progress needs to 
be  made  as  regards  environmental  preconditions  related  to  effective  water  management 
before support can be given to any additional water supply infrastructure or equipments.  

•  Explore  how  sectoral  policies  could  better  and  further  contribute  to  effective  water 
management, utilising associated funds to foster the delivery of environmental services by 
water users in an efficient way. 

At national level: 

•  Ensure efficient use of EU and national funds to improve water demand management, in 
particular  through  measures  of  adaptation,  sustainable  practices,  more  water  savings, 
monitoring systems and adapted risk management tools. 

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•  Develop  fiscal  incentives  for  the  promotion  of  water-efficient  devices  and  practices,  in 
particular  in  water  scarce  areas,  taking  into  account  the  social  context  and  the  potential 
regional differences.  

Good practice: 

Cyprus  has  taken  conservation  measures  at  household  level  by  encouraging  the  re-use  of 
"grey  water"  (i.e.  from  washing  and  washing  machines)  for  watering  gardens  and  flushing 
toilets, reducing per capita water consumption by up to 40%. In 2007, government subsidies 
cover 75% of the cost of the system. 

In Germany, one fifth of the biggest cities have been supporting rainwater harvesting for more 
than 10 years with the objective of equipping 15% of buildings by 2010. 

2.3. 

Improving drought risk management 

2.3.1.  Developing drought risk management plans 

The issue: 

Following  the  increasing  droughts  in  the  past  few  years,  some  Member  States  have  moved 
from crisis management to drought risk management. The associated measures often result in 
comprehensive  drought  risk  management  plans  with  water  stress  area  mapping,  alert  levels, 
warning systems, etc. The WFD has all the necessary flexibility to develop specific drought 
management plans in relevant river basins.  

Way forward: 

At European level: 

Foster  exchanges  of  information  and  best  practices  on  drought  risk  management.  Identify 
methodologies  for  drought  thresholds  and  drought  mapping.  By  the  end  of  2008,  develop 
recommendations. 

At national level: 

•  By  2009,  set  up  specific  drought  management  plans  to  supplement  WFD  river  basin 
management plans, where needed, in accordance with WFD provisions (Article 13(5)). 

Good practices: 

Spain and the Netherlands have already implemented national plans to address drought risks. 

The European Expert Network set up as part of the Common Implementation Strategy of the 
WFD  is  working  on  the  development  of  drought  management  plans.  A  first  workshop  was 
held on the initiative of Spain in June 2007. 

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2.3.2.  Developing an observatory and an early warning system on droughts  

The issue: 

The  Commission  is  currently  developing  a  European  Drought  Observatory  which  will 
enhance the knowledge of the issue. Efficient alert systems are also an essential dimension of 
risk management. An early warning system will therefore follow suit to improve the drought 
preparedness of the relevant authorities. This system will integrate relevant data and research 
results,  drought  monitoring,  detection  and  forecasting  on  different  spatial  scales,  from  local 
and  regional  activities  to  continental  overview  at  EU  level,  and  will  make  it  possible  to 
evaluate future events. 

Way forward: 

At European and national levels: 

•  By 2012, develop prototypes and set up implementing procedures for operational European 

Drought Observatory and early warning system. 

Good practice: 

Within the context of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Slovenia is 
hosting  a  Drought  Management  Centre  for  South-Eastern  Europe  which  works  on  drought 
preparedness, monitoring, forecasting and management. 

Within  the context  of  FP5,  a European Drought Centre has been proposed. This is a virtual 
knowledge centre, which promotes collaboration and capacity building between scientists and 
the user community, and thereby increases preparedness and resilience of society to drought. 

2.3.3.  Further optimising the use of the EU Solidarity Fund and European Mechanism for 

Civil Protection 

The issue: 

Up  to  now,  Member  States  affected  by  severe  droughts  have  never  applied  for  assistance 
under the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF). Nor have they asked for civil protection 
assistance to obtain urgent water supplies.  

Way forward: 

At EU level: 

•  Reiterate  the  Commission's  readiness  to  fully  examine  any  request  for  EUSF  support 
communicated by a Member State seriously affected by a drought while ensuring that the 
request  is  not  the  indirect  result  of  inefficient  water  management  and  that  appropriate 
drought management plans are in place. 

•  In the context of the EUSF regulation, examine whether further progress needs to be made 
as  regards  the  definition  of  the  criteria  and  eligible  operations  in  order  to  allow  the 
Solidarity Fund to better respond to drought events.  

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•  The  Mechanism  for  Civil  Protection  will  consider  all  opportunities  to  incorporate 
drought  issues  in  future  annual  work  programmes.  One  objective  will  be  to  identify  all 
possibilities of assistance in cases of severe droughts, having consequences such as forest 
fires,  and  to  aim  at  using  and  complementing  the  scarce  resources  available  in  the  best 
way. 

•  The Civil Protection Expert Group on Early Warning Systems will be requested to develop 
an  approach  to  optimise  the  use  of  the  drought  early  warning  system  at  European  and 
national levels and to anticipate any civil protection preparatory action. 

2.4. 

Considering additional water supply infrastructures 

The issue: 

In  regions  where  all  prevention  measures  have  been  implemented  according  to  the  water 
hierarchy (from water saving to water pricing policy and alternative solutions) and taking due 
account  of  the  cost-benefit  dimension,  and  where  demand  still  exceeds  water  availability, 
additional  water  supply  infrastructure  can  in some  circumstances  be  identified  as  a  possible 
other way of mitigating the impacts of severe drought. 

There are several possible ways of developing additional water infrastructures, such as storage 
of surface or ground waters, water transfers, or use of alternative sources. 

The constructions of new water supply dams and water transfers are subject to EU legislation. 
Interruption  or  transfers  of  stream  flow  inevitably  change  the  status  of  water  bodies  and  as 
such are subject to specific and strict criteria. In addition, large projects often provoke social 
and political conflict between donors and receiving basins, which calls their sustainability into 
question.  

Alternative  options  like  desalination  or  waste  water  re-use  are  increasingly  considered  as 
potential solutions across Europe. Any definitive Commission position on these options will 
have  to  be  based  on  further  work  on  risk  and  impact  assessment,  taking  into  account  the 
specific bio-geographical circumstances of Member States and regions.  

Way forward: 

At EU level: 

•  By the end of 2008, prepare a Commission assessment of all alternative options 

At national level: 

•  Ensure  that  all  adverse  effects  linked  to  any  additional  water  supply  infrastructure  like 
dams or desalination plants - are fully taken into account in the environmental assessment. 
The changes expected as a possible consequence of climate change and the objectives to be 
achieved within the Energy Policy for Europe must be fully considered in order to avoid 
any incompatibility.  

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Good practice: 

Research projects such as MEDINA7 and MEDESOL8 (6th Framework Research Programme) 
are  currently  underway  with  a  view  to  minimising  the  volume  of  brine  or  reducing  energy 
consumption in case of desalination. 

2.5. 

Fostering water efficient technologies and practices 

The issue: 

All economic sectors need to continue to develop water-efficient technologies and practices. 
Water performance could still be considerably improved across the EU. In some regions, up 
to  30%  of  the  volume  of  water  consumed  in  buildings  could  be  saved9.  In  some  cities, 
leakages in public water supply networks can exceed 50%. Similar wastage of water has been 
recorded in irrigation networks. In addition to improving technologies, the upgrading of water 
management practices is a necessary instrument in all sectors where huge quantities of water 
are used (e.g. agriculture, manufacturing or tourism).  

Way forward: 

At EU level: 

•  Consider developing standards for water-using devices such as irrigation systems and other 

farm energy-using equipments.  

•  Consider developing legislation to cover non-energy-using products including water-using 

devices (taps, shower heads, toilets). 

•  Include water efficiency criteria in performance standards for buildings when harmonising 

Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations. 

•  Consider  developing  a  new  directive  similar  to  the  Energy  Performance  of  Building 
Directive10 for water performance of buildings. This could cover taps, showers and toilets, 
rainwater harvesting and reuse of "grey water". 

•  Consider  adopting  of  a  performance  indicator  on  the  use  of  water  in  the  revision  of  the 
EMAS  Regulation  to  be  presented  by  the  Commission.  Working  towards  the  possible 
certification of all buildings of the European Institutions gradually over the next years. 

•  Encourage  enhanced  research  on  adaptation  of  economic  activities  to  water  scarcity  and 

droughts, water efficiency and decision-making tools. 

At national level: 

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MEDINA: Membrane based desalination: an integrated approach. 
MEDESOL: Seawater desalination by innovative solar-powered membrane distillation system. 
Ecologic, June 2007. 
Directive  2002/91/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  December  2002  on  the 
energy performance of buildings. 

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•  Encourage  the  adoption  of  binding  performances  for  new  buildings  and  for  public  and 

private networks, with systems of fines for excessive leakages. 

At EU and national levels: 

•  Develop  voluntary  agreements  with  all  economic  sectors  that  need  water  (builders, 
building  managers,  manufacturers,  tourism  professionals,  farmers,  local  authorities)  to 
develop more water-friendly products, buildings, networks and practices. 

Good practices: 

In Spain, proactive water-saving programmes have been launched in several towns and have 
produced significant results. In 1997, Zaragoza launched a comprehensive programme based 
on  updated  water  devices  and  equipment,  introduction  of  metering  and  raising  public 
awareness. Its implementation resulted in the saving of 1.2 billion litres of water per year and 
the lowest water consumption per inhabitant and per day in Spain (96 l/person/day). 

2.6. 

Fostering the emergence of a water-saving culture in Europe 

The issue: 

Developing  a  responsible  water-saving  and  efficiency  culture  requires  an  active  awareness-
raising  policy  in  which  all  actors  in  the  water  sector  need  to  be  involved.  Information, 
education and training are priority areas for action.  

Consumers  increasingly  demand  more information on the way water is used at all stages of 
the  industrial  or  agri-food  process.  Labelling  is  an  effective  way  to  provide  targeted 
information  to  the  public  on  water  performance  and  on  sustainable  water  management 
practices. The marketing of ever more efficient devices or "water-friendly" products should be 
encouraged. 

In line with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), economic operators involved in quality or 
certification  schemes  should  be  encouraged  to  promote  their  products  on  the  basis  of  the 
demonstrated efficient use of water.  

Way forward: 

At EU level: 

•  Explore,  together  with  the  European  Business  Alliance  on  CSR,  the  possibility  of 

launching an Alliance initiative on the efficient use of water. 

•  Encourage the inclusion of rules on water management in existing and future quality and 

certification schemes.  

•  Explore the possibility of expanding existing EU labelling schemes whenever appropriate 

in order to promote water efficient devices and water-friendly products. 

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At national level: 

•  Further  encourage  the  development  of  educational  programmes,  advisory  services, 
exchanges  of  best  practices  and  large  targeted  campaigns  of  communication  focused  on 
water quantity issues. 

Good practice: 

In  summer  2006,  France  launched  a  national  campaign  entitled  "Will  everyone  get  enough 
water?"  This  campaign  based  on  television  and  radio  spots  encouraged  individual  efforts  at 
water saving. The public considered the messages were convincing. 88% said that they make 
efforts to save water. 

2.7. 

Improve knowledge and data collection 

2.7.1.  A water scarcity and drought information system throughout Europe 

The issue: 

Reliable information on the extent and impacts of water scarcity and droughts is indispensable 
for decision-making at all levels. Shared definitions are necessary to ensure data consistency 
at EU level. The recently published Water Information System for Europe (WISE)11 provides 
the ideal platform to integrate and disseminate such information. 

Way forward:  

•  Present an annual European assessment, based on agreed indicators and data provided by 
Member States and stakeholders to the Commission or the European Environment Agency 
on a yearly basis.  

•  Fully exploit the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) services for the 
delivery  of  space-based  data  and  monitoring  tools  in  support  to  water  policies,  land  use 
planning and improved irrigation practices.  

2.7.2.  Research and technological development opportunities  

The issue: 

Support,  coordination  and  dissemination  of  research  efforts  between  the  EU  and  national 
levels  will  ensure  the  best  match  between  research  needs  and  what  is  on  offer  to  society 
including  practitioners  and  policy  makers.  LIFE+  and  transboundary  programmes  under  the 
European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership  Instrument  (ENPI)  on  water  scarcity  and  drought 
management should be coordinated. Synergies have to be sought between policy and research 
in this respect. 

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Way forward: 

•  Disseminate  and  facilitate  the  use  and  exploitation  of  the  results  of  research  on  water 

scarcity and drought issues. 

•  Explore,  enhance  and  encourage  research  and  technological  activities  in  this  area, 
including  networking,  under  the  opportunities  that  the  Seventh  Community  Research 
Framework Programme may bring. These research results may start to be operational and 
integrated to policy by 2009. 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  challenge  of  water  scarcity  and  droughts  needs  to  be  addressed  both  as  an  essential 
environmental issue and also as a precondition for sustainable economic growth in Europe. As 
the  EU  seeks  to  revitalise  and  reinvigorate  its  economy  and  to  continue  to  lead  on  tackling 
climate  change,  the  devising  of  an  effective  strategy  towards  water  efficiency  can  make  a 
substantial contribution.  

This Communication identifies a first set of policy options with a view to opening up a wide-
ranging  debate  on  how  to  adapt  to  water  scarcity  and  droughts,  two  phenomena  that  could 
potentially  increase  in  a  context  of  climate  change.  The  options  proposed  in  the 
Communication could already start to bear fruit in the short term. The Commission therefore 
believes  that  more  has  to  be  done  to  introduce  these  measures  swiftly  at  EU  level.  In  this 
sense  it  is  important  to  consider  the  role  of  the  state  of  the  art  research  results  can  play  for 
policy  making.  The  Commission  will  review  progress  towards  the  set  orientations  and  will 
report on them to the Council and the European Parliament. The report will be presented in 
the context of a Stakeholder Forum to be held in 2008. 

In  the  light  of  the  discussions  on  this  Communication  in  the  Council  of  Ministers  -  starting 
with the Informal Environment Council on 1 September 2007- and the European Parliament 
and  of  the  results  of  the  above-mentioned  report,  the  Commission  will  consider  follow-up 
initiatives and action within the coming few years.  

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