Second Follow-up Report to the Communication on water scarcity and droughts in the European Union COM (2007) 414 final {SEC(2010)573}
Date: 2010-05-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU waters, climate change, conservation of resources, drought, environmental protection, fixing of prices, information system, report, town and country planning, use of water

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION  

Brussels, 18.5.2010 
COM(2010)228 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

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

{SEC(2010)573} 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

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

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Water is one of our most valuable resources but is also becoming a scarce resource, and every 
indication is that it will become even more so in the future. Decreasing availability, declining 
quality,  and  growing  demand  for  fresh  water  are  creating  significant  challenges.  Climate 
change  is  expected  to  exacerbate  the  situation.  Therefore,  water  scarcity  issues  need  to  be 
regarded in this broader context. 

In  2007  the  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  on  water  scarcity  and  droughts1.  The 
Communication identified seven policy initiatives that had to be addressed if Europe was to 
move  towards  a  water-efficient  and  water-saving  economy.  In  October  20072  the  Council 
supported the options identified in the Communication and invited the Commission to review 
and further develop the evolving strategy for water scarcity and droughts by 2012. 

In  October  2008  the  European  Parliament  adopted  a  report  on  the  Communication  and 
supported  the  proposed  first  set  of  policy  options  for  action.  Parliament's  Resolution 
underlines that urgent action is needed - particularly to promote water savings, exchanges of 
good practice, awareness raising campaigns, putting the right price tag on water - and more 
funds are needed to support these actions. 

The first follow-up report to the Communication3 was adopted in December 2008 and detailed 
the  progress  made  in  implementing  the  Communication's  proposals.  It  identified  some 
encouraging  policy  initiatives  at  both  EU  and  national  levels  that  had  contributed  to  the 
results but concluded that there was still a great deal to be done. The report was accompanied 
by a work programme that was also to be monitored regularly. As announced in the report, the 
Commission  will  assess  on  an  annual  basis  progress  towards  implementation  of  the  set 
orientations with a view to the 2012 policy review, in line with the Council Conclusions of 30 
October 2007. This is the second report assessing progress made in implementing the options 
of the Communication and the work programme for the medium and long term. The aim of 
the report is to present the progress that has been achieved across Europe over the last year. 
The  report4  incorporates  the  information  received  from  Member  States  in  response  to  a 
questionnaire on implementation of the policy options. 

2. 

ASSESSMENT  OF  PROGRESS  MADE  IN  IMPLEMENTING  THE  POLICY 
OPTIONS 

Setting the scene 

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4 

COM(2007) 414 final 18.7.2007 
13888/07, 15 October 2007, ENV 515, DEVGEN 182, AGRI 325. 
COM(2008) 875 final, 19.12.2008 
In spring 2009 a questionnaire was sent to the 27 Member State Water Directors. Replies were received 
from  CZ,  IT,  FIN,  AT,  DE,  PT,  UK,  BE,  PL,  FR,  MT,  CY,  ES  and  LT.  The  references  to  specific 
Member States throughout the text serve as examples. 

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In April 2009 the European Commission presented a policy paper (White Paper5) which sets 
out a framework for climate adaptation measures and policies to reduce the EU's vulnerability 
to  the  impacts  of  climate  change.  The  White  Paper  stresses  the  need  for further  measures 
to enhance water efficiency and to increase resilience to climate change. 

22 December 2009 was a milestone in European water policy. This is the date by which the 
the  Water  Framework  Directive6  (WFD)  required  River  Basin 
implementation  of 
Management Plans (RBMPs) to be adopted for all river basins across the EU. This will give a 
clearer  overview  of  what  Member  States  are  planning  in  the  respective  river  basins  for 
tackling water scarcity and drought problems. 

However, by December 2009, several of the Member States where water scarcity and drought 
is expected to be most severe had not adopted their plans. 

2.1. 

Putting the right price tag on water 

The Water Framework Directive (Article 9)7 requires Member States to ensure by 2010 that 
water pricing policies provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently 
and  that  the  different  water  uses  make  an  adequate  contribution  to  the  recovery  of  costs  of 
water  services.  The  programmes  of  measures  in  the  RBMPs  will  make  it  possible  to  check 
whether this has been fully implemented across Europe. 

The current information received from Member States shows that adaptation of tariff systems 
to  take  account  of  the  principle  of  cost  recovery  may  result  in  increased  water  bills  for 
citizens. Consequently, this is happening gradually. Experience shows that the price increase 
may not necessarily lead to a decrease in consumption. Pricing is only one possible tool to be 
considered; additional measures are needed to encourage efficient use of water. Examples of 
the most widespread measures used in the Member States are the application of block tariffs, 
penalties for excessive consumption and discounts for water savings. 

Concerning the efforts to spread metering programmes in all water-using sectors - including 
compulsory controls on abstractions (Article11(3) WFD) several Member States reported that 
the  use  of  meters  for  domestic  drinking  water  supply  is  reaching  a  high  level  of 
implementation.  The  metering  of  non-domestic  water  uses  is  also  improving,  especially  if 
users  are  connected  to  the  public  supply.  The  metering  and  control  of  direct  abstractions  is 
usually  associated  with  the  authorisation  process  itself.  In  some  southern  European  river 
basins legal measures have been adopted to also control existing groundwater extractions. 

2.2. 

Allocating water and water-related funding more efficiently 

Improving land-use planning 

Economic  activities  should  adapt  to  the  sustainable  availability  of  resources  at  river  basin 
level,  without  exacerbating  already  existing  pressures  on  some  river  basins.  Large-scale 

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COM(2009)  147  final,  1.4.2009,  'Adapting  to  climate  change:  Towards  a  European  framework  for 
action' 
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, p.1. 
Pursuant to Annex VII, point A.7.2, RBMPs must include 'a report on the practical steps and measures 
taken to apply the principle of recovery of the costs of water use in accordance with Article 9'.  

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development of economic activities such as tourism or farming could lead to over-abstraction 
of waters which can cause significant problems, particularly in water-scarce areas. 

Several activities linked to land-use planning are ongoing across the EU both at European and 
at national level:  

Regarding agriculture, to respond to new challenges, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 
Health Check agreed in 2008 resulted in the inclusion of better water management objectives 
relating  to  cross-compliance.  From  2010  Member  States  will  have  to  define  standards 
applying  at  farm  level  for  compliance  with  existing  national  authorisation  procedures  when 
using water for irrigation. Obligations related to cross compliance should help raise farmers' 
awareness  of  the  authorisation  procedures,  particularly  through  the  provision  of  better 
information to farmers and the perspective to reduce CAP payments in case of infringement. 
The Commission will carefully monitor the application of the cross-compliance rules resulting 
from the Health Check during the implementation phase. 

The  directive  on  promotion  of  the  use  of  energy  from  renewable  sources  (Renewables 
Directive8)  sets  mandatory  national  targets  for  the  share  of  renewable  energy  in  final 
consumption and a target of 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020. This might lead to 
an increase of biomass production in the EU. A study carried out for the Commission9 on the 
impact  of  bioenergy  development  on  water  availability  shows  that  a  significant  increase  in 
biomass  production  in  the  EU  will  not  require  an  increase  in  total  irrigation  water 
consumption  in  most  areas.  However,  the  study  concluded  that  in  order  to  avoid  increased 
pressure  on  European  water  resources,  European  feedstock  for  bioenergy  should  be  more 
concentrated  in  northern  and  central  parts  of  Europe  than  in  the  south  (and  particularly  in 
water scarce regions). 

Regarding  water  efficiency  measures  in  urban  areas  some  initiatives  are  being  taken  at 
local  level  to  promote  the  incorporation  of  a  new  culture  of  water  management  in  the 
municipalities´  development  plans,  but  the  activities  reported  provide  evidence  that  much 
more emphasis should be put on this at national level. 

Most  Member  States  reported  that  they  fully  implement  the  Environmental  Impact 
Assessment10 (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment11 (SEA) Directives. In the case 
of  projects  significantly  affecting  the  aquatic  environment  it  is  recommended  that  the 
assessment  of  water-related  impacts  required  by  Article  4  (7)  WFD  are  incorporated  in  the 
SEA and EIA12. 

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Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, 
OJ L 140, 5.6.2009.p.16. 
T.  Dworak  et  al.  (2009),  Assessment  of  inter-linkages  between  bioenergy  development  and  water 
availability. 
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, 175, 5.7.1985, p.40. 
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. 
CIS 
http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents/docume
ntn20_mars09pdf/_EN_1.0_&a=d. 

Exemptions, 

Document 

Guidance 

No. 

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The  tourism  sector  needs  attention.  Most  tourists  go  to  the  areas  where  water  scarcity  and 
droughts are already problematic and use on average over four times13 as much water per day 
as a local resident. Peak season demands can therefore put severe constraints on local supply. 
A  key  challenge  identified  is  to  reduce  water  demand  in  the  peak  season  and  minimise 
resource use to reduce the ecological footprint and stress on water. 

Financing water efficiency 

Rural Development Programmes are an important tool that can have a significant impact on 
achieving  the  WFD  objectives.  Water  concerns  are  being  integrated  into  the  rural 
development  policy,  but  particular  attention  is  needed  in  order  to  tackle  concerns  regarding 
possible  negative  impacts  on  water  management  due  to  new  farm  investments,  in  particular 
those aiming at increasing irrigated areas and new large-scale water storage. Control systems 
should  be  developed  that  help  growing  agriculture  holdings  use  water  resources  in  a 
sustainable  way14.  Consequently,  increased  coordination  is  needed  between  water  and 
agricultural policies.  

The  agreement  reached  in  the  framework  of  the  CAP  Health  Check  has  resulted  in 
increasing  financial  transfer  from  the  first  pillar  to  rural  development  policy.  Additional 
financial resources of € 3.3 bil lion will allow Member States to reinforce their efforts under 
their  rural  development  programmes  to  meet  the  new  challenges  faced  by  European 
agriculture  including  the  need  for  better  water  management.  In  addition,  the  European 
Economic Recovery Package makes available €1.020 billion earmarked for the improvement 
of broad band infrastructure in rural areas and for addressing the new challenges as identified 
in the Health Check. Based on the information communicated to the Commission by Member 
States in 2009,  they allocated 26.9% of these additional resources for water management in 
their existing Rural Development Programmes.15 

In the 2007-2013 programming of the Cohesion Policy more than 6% of the total allocations 
are  used  for  investments  in  infrastructure  related  to  water  management.  In  addition  a  large 
share  of  the  €  5.8  billion  for  "risk  prevention"   will  support  projects  on  "water",  including 
water scarcity.  

The Commission is already undertaking activities in preparation for the post-2013 period of 
the  cohesion  policy.  In  March  2009  the  Commission  published  the  working  document 
'Regions 2020 – Climate change challenges for European Regions'16 which also addresses the 
aggravation  of  water  scarcity  and  droughts  with  climate  change.  The  European  Territorial 
Cooperation  programmes  (previously  'Interreg')  give  major  support  to  cross-border  and 
transnational projects on water scarcity.  

The  funding  of  measures  fostering  better  water  management,  such  as  the  improvement  of 
leakage  reduction,  reuse  of  waste-water,  soil  protection, 
existing  supply  systems, 

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15 

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EEA Europe’s Environment, The Third Assessment (2000). 
T.  Dworak  et  al  (2009)  In-depth  assessment  of  RD-programmes  2007-2013  as  regards  water 
management 
In  addition,  since  the  publication  of  implementing  rules  for  article  38  of  the  rural  development 
regulation  (Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No  108/2010)  Member  States  may  grant  support  for 
mainstreaming the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This measure can be used once 
the river basin management plans are operational. 
<http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/working/regions2020/index_en.htm> 

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environmental  and  water  resources  protection  and  monitoring  and  research  to  improve 
knowledge, are increasingly taken into account in EU and national budgets. More information 
is expected on improved use of the EU and national funds in the River Basin Management 
Plans. 

Only  a  few  Member  States  reported  the  implementation  of  taxation  policies  that  take  into 
account water scarcity and drought issues. 

2.3. 

Improving drought risk management 

Developing drought risk management plans 

Moving from 'crisis response' to 'risk management' in the context of water management is the 
way to improve society's resilience to water scarcity and droughts. Member States across the 
EU  consider  and  tackle  these  issues  depending  on  their  recent  history  and  suffering  with 
regard  to  water  stress.  Several  Member  States  have  begun  identifying  the  areas  or  entire 
basins  affected  by  drought,  suffering  permanent  or  semi-permanent  water  scarcity,  soil 
degradation  and  desertification  processes.  Specific  Drought  Management  Plans  could  be 
developed  as  supplements  to  the  River  Basin  Management  Plans.  However,  the  delay  in 
implementing the WFD can hamper the affected Member States in tackling water scarcity and 
drought problems.  

A  guidance  document  on  incorporating  climate  change  in  the  second  and  third  river  basin 
management  cycles  was  adopted  by  the  Water  Directors  in  December  200917.  It  includes  a 
specific chapter on adaptation measures related to water scarcity and drought problems.  

Some  Member  States  already  reported  that  no  basins  with  permanent  scarcity  are  identified 
(DE, AT, FI, LT, BE) but occasional, or even frequent, water stresses during summer can be 
expected  (DE,  AT,  FI,  LT).  However,  others  suffer  permanent  scarcity  across  the  whole 
country (MT, CY) or whole river basins (ES, IT). Not only Mediterranean countries, but also 
others from central Europe reported areas with frequent water scarcity (CZ) or over-exploited 
aquifers (FR, BE). 

Developing an observatory and an early warning system on droughts 

The prototype of the European Drought Observatory (EDO) for drought forecasting, detection 
and  monitoring  in  Europe  is  currently  engaged  in  pre-operational  production  of  drought 
indices using meteorological information. 

Several  activities  are  currently  ongoing  in  Europe  to  monitor  and  manage  drought,  water 
scarcity and desertification risks, at both national and European level. Several Member States 
are already monitoring droughts (e.g. ES, PT, UK, IT, PL, AT). 

Further optimising the use of the EU Solidarity Fund and the European Mechanism for 
Civil Protection 

In  2009  a  contribution  of  €7.6  million  in   aid  from  the  EU  Solidarity  Fund  (EUSF)  was 
granted  to  Cyprus  to  help  reimburse  the  costs  of  emergency  measures  needed  due  to  the 

17 

http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents/management_climatepdf/_EN_1.0_&a=d 

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severe  droughts  in  2008.  This  is  the  first  time  the  Solidarity  Fund  was  used  to  provide 
financial aid for emergency measures in response to an exceptional drought. 

Mobilising  the  EUSF  for  drought  is  difficult  due  to  the  ten  week  time-limit  for  presenting 
applications to the Commission following the emergence of the first damage. The application 
mechanisms  (deadline)  should  be  reconsidered  in  the  future  in  order  to  allow  the  EUSF  to 
better respond to slowly unfolding disasters, such as droughts. The implementation of drought 
plans and indicators, as well as an effective Early Warning System on droughts may mitigate 
this difficulty for applicants. 

The European Parliament supported the Commission in its appeal to the European Council to 
reconsider  its  negative  stance  on  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  EUSF  Regulation  put 
forward by the Commission already in 2005, covering also a new definition of the criteria and 
broader scope of the eligible events. 

The  2009  work  programme  on  civil  protection  covers  actions  that  are  eligible  for  financial 
assistance  under  the  Civil  Protection  Financial  Instrument  in  the  field  of  response, 
preparedness  and  prevention.  It  includes  prevention  cooperation  projects,  preparedness 
(training,  exercises)  and  expenditure  related  to  the  response  to  emergencies,  including 
drought. 

2.4. 

Considering additional water supply infrastructures 

In those regions where water demand still exceeds the availability of resources, despite having 
exhausted all possible options to reduce water demand in line with the water hierarchy, new 
water supply infrastructures for the mitigation of drought effects could be considered. 

A study carried out for the Commission in December 2008 assessing the risks and impacts of 
four alternative water supply options (desalination, wastewater re-use, ground-water recharge, 
and  rainwater  harvesting)  revealed  that  it  is  not  possible  to  provide  an  EU-wide  set  of  best 
available  mitigation  options.  The  potential  problems  and  mitigation  options  differ  between 
locations  and  technologies  –  meaning  that  mitigation  measures  have  to  be  designed  to  deal 
with  local  conditions.  Alternative  water  supply  options  may  be  more  expensive  than 
conventional options, but subsidies to compensate for price differences should serve only to 
help  users  in  the  transition  towards  more  sustainable  use  of  water  where  the  price  of  water 
reflects its true cost. 

The role of alternative water supply options will grow in the future due to climate change and 
the  reduction  of  water  availability,  so  particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  their 
implementation and the continuous improvement of knowledge in the field. 

2.5. 

Fostering water-efficient technologies and practices 

In July 2009 an assessment18 was finalised for the Commission showing that the introduction 
of mandatory requirements on water using devices under the extended Eco-design Directive 
could induce significant savings. If all domestic water using products were included, a 19.6% 
reduction  in  EU  total  public  supply  might  be  achieved  (around  6%  if  only  energy-related 

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BioIS&Cranfield university (July 2009) Study on water efficiency standards 

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products were included without considering dishwashers and washing machines). This would 
correspond to a 3.2% reduction in the total annual EU abstraction. 

Reducing the water consumption of energy-related products such as taps, showers and baths 
can also result in an indirect reduction of energy consumption: a potential reduction of 20% of 
the  heating  needs  for  these  products.  With  regard  to  buildings  it  was  concluded  that  small 
behavioural  changes  could  provide  significant  savings.  Small  changes  in  showering  time, 
bathing frequency or use of taps can result in savings of 20 to 30%.  

The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)19 is a management tool for companies 
and other organisations to evaluate report and improve their environmental performance. The 
revised Regulation covers reporting on the basis of core performance indicators, including a 
performance indicator on the use of water, consisting of the total annual water consumption 
expressed in m³. More specific indicators will be defined in the reference documents that will 
be developed for all sectors of the economic activity.  

Apart  from  EMAS,  which  requires  a  voluntary  commitment  from  the  participants  to 
contribute  to  the  efficient  use  of  water  resources,  other  voluntary  agreements  were  also 
reported with different water-using economic sectors in Member States.  

The European Environment Agency reported that manufacturing industry uses about 11% of 
total  freshwater  abstracted  across  Europe,  with  about  half  used  for  cooling  and  half  for 
processing.  Water  abstracted  for  energy  production  accounts  for  44%  of  total  freshwater 
abstraction  but  very  little  of  this  water  is  consumed  in  the  process.  There  is  potential  for 
greater use of alternative water sources for energy production (cooling) as these can be less 
impacted by droughts20. 

2.6. 

Fostering the emergence of a water-saving culture in Europe 

The  development  of  a  water-saving  culture  in  Europe  requires  the  involvement  of  civil 
society.  By  explaining  the  reasons  for  actions  taken  and  providing  information  on  what  is 
needed  to  enhance  water  saving,  Member  States  can  encourage  consumers  to  choose  water 
efficient  products  and  services,  which  will  in  turn  create  a  market  for  such  products  and 
services. The greening of public procurement and the provision of information to consumers 
by using labels will facilitate the emergence of a water-saving culture.  

The extended Framework Directive on Ecodesign21 adopted on  21 October 2009 covers not 
just energy-using items, but also energy-related products. The new Working Plan of the Eco-
design  Directive  (2009-2011)  includes  energy-using  water-using  devices,  such  as  irrigation 
equipment, and the Energy Labelling Directive is also under revision with the aim to cover a 
broader range of products, similar to the Ecodesign Directive. 

Following  the  adoption  of  the  revised  EU  Ecolabel  Regulation  in  November  2009  it  is 
expected that the Ecolabel will play an increasingly important role in helping consumers buy 
environmentally  friendly  products,  including  those  produced  with  lower  water  consumption 
and those that use less water. 

19 
20 
21 

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009,OJ L 342, 22.12.2009, p. 1. 
EEA Report No 2/2009, Water resources across Europe - confronting water scarcity and droughts. 
Directive 2009/125/EC, OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10 

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The  Greening  of  Public  Procurements  is  a  major  opportunity  to  stimulate  the  market  for 
environmentally  friendly  products  and  technologies  and  to  give  priority  to  water-efficient 
products  and  technologies.  The  Commission  strongly  urges  Member  States  to  increase  their 
level of green public procurement.  

The water footprint is increasingly used to raise consumers' awareness of water consumption. 
It has the potential for providing information on the volume of freshwater used to produce a 
product (a commodity, good or service). The Commission will consider whether it has a role 
to play in the future policy on water scarcity and droughts. 

A number of initiatives focusing on water saving are ongoing in Europe. Aquawareness - the 
European Water Awareness and Water Stewardship Programme launched in June 2008 by the 
European  Water  Partnership  (EWP),  involves  stakeholders  from  various  sectors  of  business 
and  civil  society  including  NGOs,  regional  and  local  governments  in  developing  joint 
solutions for a more sustainable water management. 

2.7. 

Improving knowledge and data collection 

Water scarcity and drought information system throughout Europe.  

Indicators  are  being  produced  under  the  Common  Implementation  of  the  WFD  in  co-
ordination  with  the  European  Environmental  Agency  (EEA)  and  the  Joint  Research  Centre 
(JRC). The EEA has made progress in establishing a European Water Scarcity and Drought 
Information  System  (WSDIS),  and  the  implementation  of  the  Global  Monitoring  for 
Environment and Security (GMES), which can deliver space-based data and land monitoring 
services in support of water policies, has also progressed22  

The EEA also produces annual figures, including data on water quantity, in the State of the 
Environment Report (SOER).  

Examples of various new information systems related to droughts forecasting are given in the 
Annex. 

Research and technological development opportunities  

Research and development projects at both national and international level are playing a key 
role  in  seeking  synergies  between  water  scarcity  and  drought  management  policies, 
identifying the main gaps in research and the key steps needed in order to improve the current 
knowledge23. Following the request of the European Parliament the Commission will initiate 
pilot  projects  that  could  contribute  to  the  work  on  tackling  water  scarcity  and  droughts 
(Activities to halt desertification in Europe, Action on Climate in the Carpathian Region and a 
Reduction  of  leakage  from  water  distribution  systems).  Examples  of  further  activities  are 
listed in the Annex. 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS 

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COM(2009)  223  final,  proposal  for  a  regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the 
European Earth Observation programme (GMES) and its initial operations (2011-2013) 
Besides the activities already reported in the first follow-up report such as AQUASTRESS, RECLAIM 
WATER, GABARDINE, MEDINA, MEDESOL, PLEIADeS or FLOW AID. 

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The priorities of the 2007 Communication on water scarcity and droughts remain valid. Many 
measures  have  been  implemented  and  actions  carried  out  in  response  to  the  policy  options 
identified in the Communication of 2007 but much more effort is needed to stop and reverse 
the process of over-exploitation of Europe's precious but limited water resources.  

In  2010  the  focus  will  be  on  water  efficiency  and  in  particular  the  potential  for  savings  in 
domestic  water  use.  The  Commission  will  consider  the  options  for  EU  measures  on  water 
savings that could be achieved by buildings (and will present them to stakeholders in 2011) 
and leakage reduction.  

The  Commission's  policy  review  on  water  scarcity  and  droughts  in  2012  will  focus  on 
assessing  what  is  being  achieved  and  whether  more  action  is  needed  in  terms  of  water 
efficiency, policy integration, water savings and improved water retention through changes in 
land-use  and  management,  water  supply  infrastructures,  use  of  unconventional  water 
resources, buildings and products, drought management and measures related to early warning 
for droughts as well as stakeholder mobilisation.  

The Commission is concerned that implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the 
Member  States  which  are  most  affected  by  water  scarcity  is  delayed  (consultations  on  the 
draft RBMPs had not started by December 2009, inter alia in PT, CY, MT, EL and in 22 out 
of 24 RBD in ES). The fact that the year 2009 brought a certain degree of hydrological relief 
compared  to  the  harsh  situation  experienced  in  the  last  few  years  by  some  of  the  southern 
European  countries,  does  not  change  this  conclusion.  Water  resources  are  still  under 
increasing  pressure  from  pollution,  from  over-exploitation  and  from  climate  change  –  and 
even in the light of significant uncertainties about the future hydrological regime in Europe, 
cleaning  up  our  waters,  strengthening  biodiversity,  moving  towards  improved  water 
efficiency  and  maximising  water  availability  must  all  be  part  of  the  answer  to  these 
challenges. The know-how and the technology that implementation of such policies can bring 
us will provide European industry with a leading edge in this area.  

The Water Framework Directive requires the Commission to publish, by 2012, a report on its 
implementation  which  will  review  how  Member  States  have  tackled  their  river  basin 
management  planning.  The  above-mentioned  policy  review  on  water  scarcity  and  droughts 
and  the  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  WFD  are  closely  related  and  will  contribute, 
together  with  a  review  of  the  vulnerability  of  environmental  resources,  to  the  Commission 
Blueprint  for  safeguarding  Europe's  water  resources  planned  for  2012.  The  Blueprint  will 
examine  the  effectiveness  of  current  policies  and  the  need  for  further  policies  or  measures 
necessary to strengthen the resilience of EU water policy to the impacts of climate change. It 
will  foster  a  move  away  from  a  crisis  management  approach  towards  prevention  and 
preparedness  with  a  view  to  ensuring  a  sustainable  balance  between  water  demand  and  the 
supply of clean water, taking into account the needs of both human activities and of natural 
ecosystems. In particular, the Blueprint will look into the need for improved implementation 
and additional legislation, funding, incentive measures and the establishment of the necessary 
support for data collection, and scientific and technological development. 

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