Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Follow up Report to the Communication on water scarcity and droughts in the European Union COM(2007) 414 final [SEC(2008) 3069]
Date: 2008-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU waters, conservation of resources, drought, environmental protection, environmental research, fixing of prices, information system, use of water

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 19.12.2008 
COM(2008) 875 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Follow up Report to the Communication on water scarcity and droughts in the 
European Union COM(2007) 414 final 

[SEC(2008) 3069] 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Follow up Report to the Communication on water scarcity and droughts in the 
European Union COM(2007) 414 final 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The growing impacts of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union and the expected 
worsening of the problem due to climate change, as illustrated by the recent water emergency 
in  Cyprus,  require  the  identification  of  appropriate  options  to  address  the  challenge 
efficiently.  In  2007  the  European  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  on  water  scarcity 
and droughts1 in which it promised this progress review and its presentation in the context of 
a Stakeholder Forum which was held on 5 September 2008 in Zaragoza. This report specifies 
the progress needed on all policy options and presents appropriate work programmes for the 
medium and long term. 

This report is the first follow-up report based on the progress made in putting into effect the 
options  of  the  Communication.  It  identifies  some  encouraging  policy  initiatives  at  both  EU 
and national2 levels that have contributed to these results although there is a great deal still to 
be done. It specifies the progress needed on the seven key challenges which must be tackled if 
Europe  is  to  move  towards  a  water  efficient  and  water  saving  economy.  These  challenges 
include  the  ongoing  need  to  fully  implement  the  Water  Framework  Directive3  (WFD); 
moving  towards  sustainable  land  use  planning;  giving  priority  to  water  savings  and  water 
efficiency  measures  over  any  other  alternatives  and  assessing  the  environmental  impact  of 
such  alternatives  as  a  last  resort;  further  integrating  water  issues  into  all  sectoral  policies. 
Adaptation to climate change will add a new challenge to the existing issues. The follow-up 
report  presents  a  work  programme  for  the  medium  and  long  term  which  can  only  be 
implemented in close cooperation with Member States. 
In October 20074 the Council supported the options identified at European and national levels 
in the Communication and invited the Commission to review and further develop the evolving 
strategy for water scarcity and droughts by 2012. Adaptation to climate change has likewise 
become  a  top  priority  for  the  EU  agenda,  and  the  challenge  of  water  scarcity  should  be 
considered in this broader context. The forthcoming Commission's initiative on adaptation to 
climate  change  will  help  reinforce  the  consistency  of  the  action  taken  both  at  EU  level  and 
nationally, and set the scene for further action at the EU level. 

2. 

ASSESSMENT  OF  PROGRESS  MADE  IN  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF 
THE POLICY OPTIONS 

One  of  the  key  imperatives  in  order  to  address  the  issues  of  water  scarcity  and  drought 
efficiently in the short term is full implementation of the Water Framework Directive by all 
the Member States. 

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COM(2007) 414 final of 18.7.2007 
In early 2008 a questionnaire was sent to the 27 Member State Water Directors. Replies were received 
from AT, BE-Fl, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HU, IE, IT, LU, LV, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK and UK. 
Directive  2000/60/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  establishing  a  framework  for 
Community action on water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000. 
13888/07, 15 October 2007, ENV 515, DEVGEN 182, AGRI 325  

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The adoption of the WFD river basin management plans and programmes of measures by the 
end of 2009 (Articles 11 and 13) will allow a more in-depth analysis of the measures that are 
planned at Member State level to address water quantity issues, including the use of economic 
instruments. 

Ensuring coherence across policy areas is a challenge at all levels of governance. At the EU 
level,  the  challenge  is  to  make  sure  that  all  sectoral  and  horizontal  policies  are  moving 
towards  the  same  goals  and  to  avoid  counterproductive  effects  on  water  resources.  This  is 
achievable,  taking  into  account  the  timetable  and  work  programme  of  each  policy. 
Investments co-financed under Community funds should follow clear guidelines designed to 
ensure that they do not contribute to the pressure on scarce water resources. 
The  effective  implementation  of  the  Directive  on  Environmental  Impact  Assessment5  (EIA) 
and  the  Directive  on  Strategic  Environmental  Assessment6  (SEA)  by  all  MS  is  also  key  to 
avoiding any adverse impact of water management projects on water resources. 

2.1.  Water pricing 

Member  States  are  committed  to  delivering  by  2010,  water  pricing  policies  that  provide 
adequate incentives to use water resources efficiently (Article 9 WFD). Some of them (CY, 
ES,  FR,  UK,  PT)  are  taking  actions  to  set  tariffs  that  are  consistent  with  the  level  of  water 
scarcity at local level, the season and/or the level of consumption. Others (UK) are conducting 
reviews and assessing the effectiveness of different types of tariffs in water stress areas. 

However, setting water pricing policies in a manner consistent with water availability remains 
a challenge at all levels of governance. The WFD milestone will make it possible to assess the 
extent to which the economic instruments and pricing policies adopted by Member States are 
compatible with the level of concern about water scarcity and drought. 

Attention  will  also  need  to  be  paid  to  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Cooperation  and 
Development  (OECD)  Work  Programme7  which  addresses  the  economic  basis  for  sound 
water management. 

Progress is being made in the area of water metering. A few Member States are developing 
national  strategies  to  ensure  the  metering  of  water  abstraction  in  agriculture  and  proof  of 
public  authorization  to  abstract  (ES,  FR),  extend  metering  to  include  water  abstraction  and 
consumption  (CY,  FR,  PT),  and  to  introduce  possible  metering  obligations  in  water  stress 
areas (FR, UK) or to all households that are part of new multi-occupancy buildings (FR). 

On the other hand, all Member States still need to take further action. For example, Member 
States  are  required  to  implement  systematic  control  over  water  abstraction  (Article  11(3)(e) 
WFD).  The  programmes  of  measures  planned for  adoption  by  the  end  of  2009  will  make  it 
possible to check that this is being fully addressed across Europe. 

The  Commission  has  proposed  as  part  of  the  Health  Check  of  the  Common  Agricultural 
Policy (CAP)8 to add a new issue on water under the Good Agricultural and Environmental 
Conditions  (GAEC)  which  are  part  of  cross-compliance.  Under  this  issue,  the  new  standard 

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Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and 
private projects on the environment, OJ L, 5.7.1985, p.40-48 
Directive  2001/42/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27  June  2001  on  the 
assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, 
p.30-37 
OECD  DAC/EPOC  Water  Task  Team  –  "Sustainable  financing  to  ensure  affordable  access  to  water 
supply and sanitation" 
COM(2007) 722 final of 20.11.2007 

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concerning the respect of authorisation procedures for using water for irrigation can also help 
expand water metering in agriculture. The CAP Health Check proposals are under discussion 
in the Council and may be adopted by the end of 2008. 

2.2. 

Allocating water and water-related funding more efficiently 

2.2.1. Improving land-use planning 

The  need  to  adapt  economic  activities  to  the  level  of  water  available  locally  remains  a 
challenge.  

The CAP Health Check proposals on the broadening of the scope of the GAEC to water and 
on  the  further  decoupling  of  support  from  production  aim  at  lowering  the  impacts  of 
agricultural activities on water resources. 

As  part  of  the  discussions  on  the  post  2013  CAP,  the  Commission  will  assess  which  water 
quantity related obligations result from the Water Framework Directive and should be treated 
in the framework of the cross-compliance system. As regards biofuels, specific sustainability 
criteria are being discussed by the Council and the European Parliament. The Commission's 
proposal  for  a  new  directive  on  renewable  energy9  provides  a  strong  incentive  for  the 
development of biofuels based on waste, residues and other non-agricultural feedstock. This 
should contribute to reduce pressure on the water needs in the agricultural sector. 

The Member States most affected by water scarcity and droughts in the past (CY, EL, ES, FR, 
IT, PT, UK) have made efforts to identify the river basins that are facing quasi-permanent or 
permanent  water  scarcity.  A  few  Member  States  have  taken  steps  to  reduce  the  pressure  on 
water resources, such as a ban on increases in water abstraction  in overexploited  areas (ES, 
FR),  assessment  of  the  volumes  that  can  be  sustainably  abstracted  and  a  review  of  the 
abstraction  authorisations  (FR,  UK),  and  an  obligation  to  put  in  place  collective  irrigation 
organisations  in  charge  of  limiting  and  distributing  abstraction  volumes  among  irrigators 
(from 2011 in FR). 

More generally, Member States have signalled their intention to address the issue specifically 
in the forthcoming river basin management plans, including those Member States where water 
scarcity  and  droughts  have  not  been  a  major  issue  so  far  (AU,  DK,  NL),  but  where  climate 
change could make the situation worse. 

Despite the examples cited above, there is currently little evidence that land use challenges are 
being fully integrated into the water management decisions taken by Member States. Further 
steps need to be taken urgently at all levels. 

Water quantity issues will be efficiently addressed only if the functioning of the water cycle is 
fully considered. Permanent vegetation has a positive impact on the regulation of evaporation 
and significantly helps to maintain the thermal stability of the land. 

A large-scale agricultural, industrial and urban development have affected the infiltration of 
water at local level, increased the runoff of rainwater, reduced groundwater recharge and the 
availability  of  water  for  vegetation  and  increased  evaporation.  In  some  agricultural  regions, 
the  development  of  drainage  combined  with  irrigation  has  resulted  in  the  disappearance  of 
natural vegetation, the emergence of salty soil and reduction of yields. In urban or industrial 
areas, the mass use of cement and asphalt predominate which results in rainwater often carried 
away through public sewage networks, instead of saturating the soil and ecosystems. 

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COM(2008) 19 final adopted by the Commission on 23 January 2008 

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Land management and land-use planning need to adapt in order to progress towards optimal 
water  saturated  land.  The  priority  should  be  to  retain  rainwater  in  the  places  where  it  falls, 
particularly in areas with significant impacts due to human activities. Improvement of water 
infiltration into the soil and progress towards soil saturation will help restore groundwater and 
surface water resources. It is crucial to maintain and increase organic matter in the soil as this 
can absorb up to twenty times its weight in water. This is one of the objectives of the proposal 
for a Soil Framework Directive10 presented by the Commission in September 2006 and being 
discussed by the Institutions. 

2.2.2.  Financing water efficiency 

The 2007 Communication highlighted the need to improve the financing of water efficiency 
within the framework of existing sectoral policies. 

The  proposals  made  by  the  Commission  in  the  framework  of  the  CAP  Health  Check  to 
increase modulation and use the budget thus obtained to finance i.a. water management under 
rural  development  can  improve  the  situation.  This  would  come  in  addition  to  the  actions 
already  implemented  by  some  Member  States  (e.g.  ES,  PT)  via  the  rural  development 
programmes, such as providing investment support to improve water efficiency. 
In  light  of  the  "Climate  action  and  renewable  energy  package"11  and  the  Green  Paper 
'Adaptation to climate change in Europe – options for EU action"12, the possible revision of 
the  Community  strategic  guidelines  on  Cohesion  2007-201313  is  being  considered  by  the 
Commission.  Any  mid-term  review  will  be  concluded  following  close  cooperation  with 
Member  States.  The  review  and  possible  revision  of  the  strategic  guidelines,  as  well  as 
evaluations14  undertaken  by  the  Commission  or  the  Member  States  may  lead  to  voluntary 
amendments of the operational programmes by the Member States, especially those covering 
environment and energy. 

The  budget  review  and  the  discussion  about  the  future  financial  perspectives  will  provide 
additional opportunities to address water quantity issues. The Commission currently prepares 
on  the  Cohesion  policy  a  Working  Document  on  "Regions  2020  -  The  climate  change 
challenge to European Regions" which addresses the issue of water scarcity and droughts. 

In July 2008, the European Investment Bank (EIB) adopted a new lending policy for the water 
sector15 in line with the key challenges of the Communication. 

Some  Member  States  are  taking  a  range  of  actions  to  develop  fiscal  incentives  for  the 
promotion of water efficient devices and practices. Some have put in place schemes to support 
the purchase of rain water harvesting and waste water reuse equipment in private and public 
buildings  or  aquifer  recharge  (CY,  FR,  NL).  Some  are  developing  schemes  that  enable 
businesses to claim allowances for investments in water efficient technologies and equipments 
(UK). Both regional and local authorities (ES) and the private sector have sometimes put in 
place  specific  action  plans  in  order  to  support  the  use  of  water  saving  devices  and  improve 
water supply networks. 

2.3. 

Drought management 

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COM(2006) 232, 22.09.2006 
COM(2008) 30 final/ 23.1.2008  
COM(2007) 354 final of 29.6.2007 
OL 291, 21.10.2006, p. 11  
General Provisions Regulation 1083/2006/EC, Articles 48 & 49, OJL 210, 31.07.2006, p. 25  
'Strengthening the EIB's support to EU policy objectives in the sector' – July 2008 

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In 2007 a European network of experts on water scarcity and droughts produced a report on 
drought  management  plans16  as  part  of  the  Common  Implementation  Strategy  of  the  Water 
Framework Directive. This report was endorsed by the Water Directors of the Member States 
in November 2007. It sets out recommendations for the development of operational drought 
management  plans  in  order  to  efficiently  prevent  and  mitigate  drought  impacts  on 
environment, society and economy. It also includes examples of drought management plans 
already in place in some Member States (ES, UK, PT). 

Some Member States are implementing additional measures, such as water company drought 
plans  (UK)  or  national  drought  plans  (CY,  FR).  Other  measures  are  planned,  such  as  the 
setting up of a system for the prediction and management of droughts (PT). 

However,  only  a  few  Member  States  have  taken  action  and  these  initiatives  have  yet  to  be 
evaluated. 

The  Commission's  Joint  Research  Centre  is  developing  an  observatory  and  early  warning 
system  on  droughts.  This  will  serve  as  a  platform  for  forecasting,  detection  and  monitoring 
and  for  exchange  of  information.  It  adopts  a  multi-scale  approach,  is  in  line  with  the 
subsidiarity  principle  and  will  provide  consistent  information  at  European  level.  The  first 
prototype is currently undergoing  extensive testing. In  cooperation with Member States, the 
European  Environment  Agency  (EEA)  contributes  to  the  identification  of  relevant  water 
scarcity  and  drought  indicators.  An  initial  set  of  parameters  is  currently  being  developed. 
From 2009-2010, the collection of data at national level based on these parameters will make 
it  possible  to  issue  an  annual  European  assessment  of  how  the  extent  and  impacts  of  water 
scarcity and droughts are evolving across Europe. 

These  developments  will  make  it  possible  to  stay  within  the  deadline  of  2012  set  in  the 
Communication for the development of prototypes and implementing rules for an operational 
drought observatory and early warning system. 
As regards the EU Solidarity Fund17, the current Regulation allows droughts to be considered 
for aid only if the specific conditions for its mobilization are respected, including the 10 week 
time-limit from the start of the disaster for presenting an applications to the Commission. The 
challenge of adapting to climate change may require examining whether, in the framework of 
the  next  budget  review,  further  progress  could  be  made  in  the  definition  of  the  criteria  and 
eligible operations to better respond to drought events. 

The  2009  annual  work  programme  of  the  Mechanism  for  Civil  Protection  will  address  the 
issue of forest fires. This will be an opportunity to address the link with severe droughts and 
identify  appropriate  possibilities  of  assistance  in  such  situations.  The  prototype  of  the 
European  Drought  Observatory  will  be  presented  to  the  Expert  Group  on  Early  Warning 
Systems of the Action Programme for Civil Protection18 as soon as it is available. This may 
lead  to  the  development  of  recommendations  of  how  to  use  and  apply  the  system  for  Civil 
Protection assistance at European and national levels. 

On  5  March  2008,  the  European  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  on  reinforcing  the 
Union's Disaster Response capacity19. This Communication pleads for a reinforcement of the 

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Report available on http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/quantity/scarcity_en.htm 
Council  Regulation  (EC)  2012/2002  establishing  the  European  Union  Solidarity  Fund  OJ  L  311, 
14.11.2002.  
Council  Decision  1999/847/EC  of  9  December  1999  establishing  a  Community  action  programme  in 
the field of civil protection, OJ L 327/53 
COM(2008) 130 final, 5.3.2008 

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Community Civil Protection Mechanism. To this end, the Commission will submit proposals 
for a European Disaster Response Training Network by mid-2009. Past experience shows that 
disaster  response  is  not  sufficient  in  itself  and  that  prevention  and  preparedness  need  to  be 
reinforced. Therefore, the Commission currently develops EU strategies for preparedness and 
prevention of natural and manmade disasters, including droughts.  

2.4. 

Assessment of water supply infrastructures 

Additional  water  supply  infrastructures  (such  as  storage  of  water,  water  transfers  or  use  of 
alternative sources) should be considered as an option when other options, including effective 
water  pricing  policy  and  cost-effective  alternatives,  have  been  exhausted.  The  need  to  base 
policy making on this clear water hierarchy is confirmed by work in progress. This applies to 
all  sectors  and  users,  especially  in  water-scarce  regions  of  Europe  and  in  regions  where 
climate change is expected to reduce water availability. 

In the event of need for additional water supply, the selection of the most appropriate option 
should be based on a full impact assessment that also takes into account the energy required to 
build up the new infrastructure, and to treat and transport the water. Some supply options can 
lead to similarly high levels of energy consumption. Addressing the expected needs for water 
in  water-scarce  regions  would  increase  the  energy  consumption  of  some  Mediterranean 
countries  by  between  15%  and  45%.  The  expected  decrease  in  water  availability  due  to 
climate  change  has  to  be  fully  taken  into  account  in  the  definition  of  water  supply 
infrastructures.  This  is  key  to  ensuring  sustainable  water  availability  in  contributing  basins 
and  to  avoiding  oversized  equipments  that  would  further  increase  energy  demand  and 
exacerbate the current difficulties. 

Additional  key  issues  need  to  be  considered  in  the  assessment  of  projected  measures,  in 
particular: possible adverse impacts on the economy, society and the environment, including 
impacts on health (in particular for waste water reuse, rainwater harvesting), impacts on the 
quality and quantity of water resources20 (all options) and a financing strategy that will ensure 
the  recovery  of  all  costs  including  environmental  and  resource  costs,  as  well  as  relevant 
contributions by the different users. The choice of measures will determine the type of water 
uses that can be satisfied. 

There  is  therefore  no  single  best  option,  and  only  a  full  impact  assessment  of  all  options, 
including land use changes, can lead to the identification of the most appropriate solution, on 
a case-by-case basis, depending on local conditions. 

2.5.  Water efficient technologies and practices 

A  study  carried  out  for  the  Commission  in  September  2007  indicates  that  the  water  saving 
potential is close to 40% in Europe21. This requires substantial changes on the way in which 
water is distributed and used in order to develop water savings to the largest extent possible. 

At  European  level,  the  Commission  is  launching  a  study  to  assess  the  scope  for  developing 
specific  standards  for  water-using  devices,  including  farm  equipments.  The  standards 
developed at national level are usually voluntary. At least one Member State (UK) has begun 
to  review  its  regulations  on  minimum  requirements  of  performance  and  maximum  levels  of 
water use for water-using appliances and fittings. 

An action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy 
(SCP/SIP)22 was adopted on 16 July 2008. This comprises a proposal for widening the scope 

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According to Article 4.7 of the WFD when applicable 
Study available on http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/quantity/scarcity_en.htm 

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of  the  Ecodesign  Directive23  to  energy  related  products.  This  includes  water  using  devices 
whose water consumption influences the energy required for heating. 

In parallel, work is in progress on implementing of the current Ecodesign Directive with the 
aim  of  adopting  implementing  measures  for  given  priority  product  groups  within  a  short 
period of time. Washing machines and dishwashers are already covered during the transitional 
period 2005-2008. They will be addressed in a next preparatory study. The inclusion of water 
using  equipments,  in  particular  irrigation  equipment,  in  the  new  Working  Plan  of  the 
Ecodesign Directive (2009-2011) is also being considered by the European Commission. 
The  Action  Plan  on  SCP/SIP  includes  a  proposal  for  a  regulation24  revising  the  European 
Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) scheme that includes water consumption as one of 
the performance indicators. 

On  basis  of  the  experience  gained  with  the  Directive  on  the  Energy  Performance  of 
Buildings25, the Commission is launching a study to consider the need for a similar directive 
on the water performance of buildings. 

Only  a  few  Member  States  already  have  minimum  water  requirements  in  their  building 
regulation (ES, NL, UK) or national building standards (DK, DE, ES). Others have introduced 
specific  water  management  requirements  for  future  'high  environmental  quality'  buildings 
(FR),  or  are  reviewing  their  national  regulations  to  ensure  the  water  efficiency  of  buildings 
and  establish  a  comprehensive  water  performance  standard  for  buildings  (UK)  or  are 
introducing  minimum  compulsory  water  efficiency  standards  for  any  new  publicly  funded 
housing (UK). Lessons need to be learned from these experiences, and many more Member 
States should take action. 

The steps taken to reduce leakages in water networks include systematic and regular external 
audits of leakage levels (AT), the introduction of incentives to encourage water companies to 
bring  leakages  in  water  networks  below  a  given  level  (10%  in  DK),  the  introduction  of 
preconditions of minimum performance in existing networks for the delivery of public funds 
for  new  water  supply  networks  (FR),  publication  of  the  performance  of  networks  in  each 
municipality  on  the  internet  (under  development  in  FR),  the  introduction  of  water  company 
targets with possible fines in case of failure (UK). Excessive leakages remain an issue despite 
the  above  references  and  much  more  can  be  done.  Member  States  have  a  particular 
responsibility for improving leakage detection and upgrading networks. 

As  regards  the  development  of  voluntary  agreements  with  all  economic  sectors  that  need 
water, initiatives are expected to be taken at European level. In particular, the Action Plan on 
SCP/SIP  to  establish  a  Retailer  Forum  in  order  to  encourage  inter  alia  sustainable  water 
consumption for major European retailers and their supply chains. A few Member States have 
developed agreements with specific economic sectors, such as golf courses (FR), the building 
sector  (FR,  NL),  and  the  food  and  drink  sector  (UK).  In  some  Member  States,  agreements 
involving local authorities, NGOs and water agencies have been adopted at local and regional 
levels (FR) in order to promote and increase water savings. In general, voluntary agreements 
remain limited and need to be further extended, as they are able to deliver significant benefits. 

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COM(2008) 397/3, 16.07.2008 
Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the 
setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products, OJ L 101, 22.7.2005.  
COM(2008) 402/2 
Directive  2002/91/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  December  2002  on  the 
energy performance of buildings, OJ L 1, 4.1.2003.  

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2.6. 

Development of a water-saving culture in Europe 

To develop a water-saving and efficiency culture, the role of civil society will be crucial. A 
number  of  initiatives  have  been  launched  at  European  level,  such  as  the  development  of 
European  water  awareness  and  water  stewardship  programmes  by  the  European  Water 
Partnership  (EWP).  This  programme  aims  to  involve  various  stakeholders  including  NGOs, 
private  companies,  regions,  municipalities,  etc.  Actions  will  include  the  organisation  of 
regional  and  local  information  campaigns,  the  creation  of  a  European  water  prize  and 
awareness tools and the development of principles of water stewardship. 

The  European  Commission  adopted  a  Green  Paper  on  agricultural  product  quality  policy  in 
October 200826. The Green Paper provides an opportunity for stakeholders to give their views 
on  whether  and  how  environmental  concerns,  such  as  water  management,  can  be  further 
integrated  into  future  certification  schemes  and  to  assess  the  demand  for  the  promotion  of 
water-friendly products. 

The Action Plan on SCP/SIP refers to a forthcoming proposal for the revision of the Energy 
Labelling  Directive27  in  order  to  cover  a  broader  range  of  products  and  a  range  of 
environmental parameters, including water use. 

Most  Member  States  have  actively  developed  actions  for  communication  and  education  in 
order  to  increase  public  awareness  on  water  quantity  issues:  information  campaigns  at 
national, regional or local level (BE-Fl, CY, DK, ES, FR, NL, UK), school competitions on 
water efficiency (CY, PT), free advice to the business sector (UK), a website that is updated 
daily (CY), inclusion of water issues in educational programmes and development of actions 
at school to promote water saving devices (CY, EL, FR), development of a national strategy 
to educate  consumers  on efficient water use (UK), exchange of  good practices on  irrigation 
(FR).  All  these  measures  need  to  be  continued  and  extended  across  the  whole  of  Europe. 
Their evaluation will make it possible to identify which measures are most effective. 

2.7. 

Improvement of knowledge and data collection 

Implementation, 

A concrete EU wide initiative is Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). 
Within the GMES Land Service, a land cover inventory has been established showing areas 
under  water  scarcity  pressure  as  well  as  their  changes  over  time.  Concrete  applications  for 
improved irrigation management have already been tested with Spanish and French regional 
authorities as well as support to WFD reporting in cross- border river basins. 
A  number  of  on-going  projects  related  to  the  6th  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and 
Technological 
as  AQUASTRESS,  RECLAIM  WATER, 
GABARDINE,  MEDINA,  MEDESOL,  PLEIADeS  or  FLOW  AID,  are  delivering  scientific 
and technological progress in the field of water scarcity and droughts. It is expected that the 
outcome of these projects will be of use as water stress mitigation options. Moreover a set of 
new  initiatives  are  launched  in  the  context  of  the  7th  FP  implementation  that  are  aimed  to 
assess the impact of climate change on water policies, water quantity and water quality. An 
action focused on investigating Europe's risk from droughts was launched at EU level. This 
aims to identify the main gaps in research and the key steps forward in order to improve the 
current knowledge of the extent and impacts of droughts. This will lead to the development of 
a  platform  of  exchange  on  drought  issues  between  the  research  and  policy  communities. 

such 

26 
27 

COM(2008) 641, 15.10.2008. 
Council Directive 92/75/EEC of 22 September 1992 on the indication by labelling and standard product 
information  of  the  consumption  of  energy  and  other  sources  by  household  appliances,  OJ  L  297, 
13.10.1992.  

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Better knowledge in this area can also be beneficial for a sustainable use of inland waterways 
for transport. 

Member States have responded to the challenge of water scarcity and droughts by launching 
research  and  technological  activities  related  to  the  impacts  and  evolution  of  drought  in  a 
context of climate change (ES, NL, LU, UK, PT), consumer behaviour towards water using 
devices (UK), correlation between water and energy efficiency of dish washers and washing 
machines  (UK),  improvement  of  efficiency  of  water  using  devices  (UK),  improvement  of 
agricultural  practices  including  irrigation  (CY,  ES,  FR),  assessment  of  alternative  water 
supply  options  (CY,  FR),  development  of  a  data  collection  system  for  the  evaluation  of 
drought impacts (PT). Most of these activities are still ongoing. Exchange of information at 
EU level will enable their results to be shared with all Member States. 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The Communication of July 2007 on water scarcity and droughts and the European Council 
conclusions  of  October  2007  paved  the  way  for  the  further  development  of  water  demand 
management  measures  and  efforts  to  fully  exhaust  the  potential  for  water  saving  potential 
before any other alternatives. 

This follow-up report shows that, while progress has been made, a great deal still needs to be 
done in order to improve water demand management more widely across Europe and to avoid 
mismanagement of water resources, especially in water-scarce areas. 

The  priorities  set  in  the  Communication  remain  valid.  As  shown  by  the  many  examples 
contained in this report, continued attention needs to be paid to implementation in all priority 
areas. 

As announced in the 2007 Communication, the Commission will provide from 2009 onwards 
an annual European assessment on water scarcity and droughts that will make it possible to 
monitor the evolution of the issue across Europe on a regular basis. 

The implementation of the work programme will be monitored and will be part of the review 
of  the  strategy  for  water  scarcity  and  droughts  mentioned  in  the  Council  Conclusions  of  30 
October 2007 and planned for 2012. 

EN 

10 

   EN