COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the European Innovation Partnership on Water
Date: 2012-05-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: environmental cooperation, hydraulic works, hydrology, innovation, technical cooperation, water management, water resources, water supply

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 10.5.2012  
COM(2012) 216 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on the European Innovation Partnership on Water 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on the European Innovation Partnership on Water 

1. Introduction 

Floods,  water  scarcity  and  droughts  have  enormous  environmental,  social  and  economic 
impacts. Insufficient water quality levels pose threats for public health and bio-diversity and 
the supply of safe drinking water and sanitation still poses problems, both within Europe and 
outside.  To  sustainably  manage  the  increasing  pressures  on  water  resources,  new  and 
innovative approaches are needed.  

The  European  Innovation  Partnerships  (EIPs)  as  proposed  in  the  Europe  2020  Flagship 
Initiative "Innovation Union"1 provides for a strategic approach and framework to address the 
weaknesses  in  the  European  research  and  innovation  system  to  speed  up  innovations  that 
make  a  significant  contribution  to  solving  societal  challenges.  In  doing  so,  Europe's 
competitiveness should be enhanced, contributing to job creation and economic growth. EIPs 
are  a  means  to  pool  expertise  and  resources  on  key  political  priorities  by  mobilising  and 
linking up all relevant stakeholders across policies, sectors and borders to bring the benefits of 
breakthroughs and innovation to people more quickly.  

The  importance  of  innovation  in  the  field  of  water  management  is  recognized  by  the  EU 
Member  States.  On  June  21st  2011,  the  Council  of  the  European  Union  invited  the 
Commission to 'investigate an innovation partnership on water in close cooperation with the 
Member States, with a view to achieving sustainable and efficient use of water'2. 

The  importance  for  Europe  to  engage  in  the  sustainable  management  of  water  as  a  key 
resource is underlined in the Europe 2020 Resource efficient Europe3 flagship initiative. The 
Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe4 highlights the efficiency gains that can be made. 

A  Blueprint  to  safeguard  Europe's  waters,  the  water  milestone  on  the  Resource  efficiency 
Roadmap, is being developed by the Commission. The Blueprint will present, by the end of 
2012, the policy response to the challenges of the implementation issues and gaps related to 
the current framework of EU water resource management policy. The Blueprint and the EIP 
will  be  developed  in  close  coordination  to  ensure  integration  of  innovative  approaches  and 
innovation demand side measures in developing and realizing EU water resource management 
policy. Furthermore, the EIP will build on the Eco-Innovation Action Plan5, which focuses on 
boosting innovation that results in or aims at reducing pressures on the environment and on 
bridging the gap between innovation and the market. 

2. Seizing the innovation opportunities 

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Communication COM(2010) 546 final  
Council of the European Union Conclusions of 21 June 2011. (doc. 11308/11) 
Resource efficient Europe, COM(2011)21 final 
Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe, COM(2011) 571 final 
COM(2011) 899 final 

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Citizens,  societies,  agriculture  and  industries  will  increasingly  need  innovative  solutions  to 
meet the need of using water in a more efficient and effective way. Innovative thinking and 
smarter use of innovation have the potential to bring new solutions quickly and efficiently to 
the market while responding to the needs of end users in urban, rural and industrial areas.  

Unlocking  the  innovation  potential  in  the  field  of  water  management  can  significantly 
contribute to job creation, economic growth and competitiveness in Europe. A 1% increase of 
the rate of growth of the water industry in Europe may mean between 10,000 and 20,000 new 
jobs6. By seizing new and significant market opportunities, Europe can increasingly position 
itself as a global market leader in water related innovation and technology.  

There  is  significant  potential  for  boosting  the  competitiveness  and  growth  of  the  European 
water  sector,  which  includes  9000  active  SMEs  and  provides  600,000  direct  jobs  in  water 
utilities  alone6.  This  potential  also  exists  for  other  water  related  sectors  (water  using 
industries, water technology development etc.) where innovation can create higher operational 
efficiencies. There is a rapidly growing world water market which is estimated to be as large 
as $ 1 trillion by 20207.  

The  European  water  related  sectors  already  operate  world-wide  in  developing  innovative 
water  solutions,  but  often  do  not  capture  the  benefits  of  marketing  these.  Eliminating  the 
obstacles  for  market  breakthroughs  and  promoting  Europe's  comparative  advantages  in  the 
innovation  value  chain  will  facilitate  European  companies  to  bring  solutions  to  the  market, 
thereby realizing their full economic potential. 

Innovative  solutions  to  water  related  challenges  can  directly  support  wider  environmental 
objectives  such  as  protecting  our  natural  capital  and  ecosystems,  and  the  biodiversity  that 
supports these. In addition, solutions with regard to drinking water and waste water treatment 
are  to  the  benefit  of  public  health,  which  in  turn  will  generate  significant  savings. 
Furthermore, solutions to improve protection of, and in, flood-prone areas will enhance public 
safety and prevent potential economic losses. 

3. The societal challenges 

Without  an  effective  policy  to  stimulate  innovation,  Europe  risks  being  unable  to  realise  its 
potential on global markets in water related innovation and hence may have to unnecessarily 
acquire technology from elsewhere to deal with its water challenges.8 

Recent  studies  show  that  competing  demands  for  scarce  water  resources  may  lead  to  an 
estimated  40%  global  water  supply  shortage  by  20309,  also  affecting  large  parts  of  Europe. 
Competition  for  clean  water  is  expected  to  increasingly  lead  to  social,  economic, 
environmental and global geo-political consequences. 

Challenges with regard to water quality and quantity are significant. A substantial proportion 
of  Europe’s  freshwaters  are  at  risk  of  not  achieving  the  objectives  of  the  EU  Water 

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Commission  Staff  Working  Paper  Research  Joint  Programming  Initiative  on  Water  (doc.  SEC(2011) 
1250 final) 
LUX Research report "Water Cultivation: The Path to Profit in Meeting Water Needs", 2008 
Global  Water  Intelligence,  2011.  Global  Water  Market  2011  -  Meeting  the  world's  water  and 
wastewater needs until 2016 
McKinsey  &  Company,  2009.  Charting our Water  Future:  Economic  frameworks  to  inform  decision-
making. 

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Framework Directive by 2015. According to the preliminary analysis in 2009, 30% of surface 
waters and 38% of ground waters are at risk of not achieving good status10. This has adverse 
effects on bio-diversity and pubic health and hampers the provision of eco-system services.  

Regarding  water  quantity,  water  scarcity  and  droughts  already  affect  one  third  of  the  EU 
territory  across  different  latitudes.  A  comparison  of  the  impacts  of  droughts  in  the  EU 
between 1976-1990 and 1991-2006 shows a doubling in both area and population affected.11 
In  addition,  over  the  past  ten  years,  Europe  suffered  more  than  175  major  floods,  causing 
deaths, the displacement of people and large economic losses11. 

These  challenges  are  projected  to  increase  due  to  climate  change,  socio  economic 
developments  and  increasing  water  demand  in  agriculture  to  produce  food  and  biomass. 
Urbanization  and  rapid  industrialization,  combined  with  demographic  developments  have 
accelerated  water  problems,  with  ageing  water  infrastructure  posing  further  challenges.  In 
addition, water-energy efficiency gains and interactions will be increasingly important in the 
sustainable management of water.  

With  regard  to  developing  countries,  achieving  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  in 
relation  to  sanitation  and  drinking  water  is  instrumental  to  fight  poverty  and  promote  the 
economic development of millions.  

4. The EU response  

Protecting  water  resources  and  promoting  sustainable  economic  growth  are  interlinked  and 
call for an integrated approach. The EIP will facilitate the search for innovative solutions in 
support of an effective EU water policy as well as unlocking business and industry potential 
to  innovate  and  gain  competitive  advantage.  In  addition  to  new  approaches  to  research  and 
technological  development  also  new  approaches  to  finance,  ICT,  governance,  physical 
planning, institutions, management and other disciplines or the interaction between them will 
be needed. 

4.1 EU Added Value 

Knowledge and technology in the European water sector are excellent but scattered. The EIP 
can  create  a  critical  mass  by  pooling  resources  across  sectors  and  borders  and  promote 
competition  and  level  playing  field  conditions.  Action  at  European  level  can  facilitate 
coordination of efforts, prevention of duplication, definition of common objectives, scale-up 
initiatives and speed up the delivery of innovative solutions. The EIP will make best use of 
existing resources and recommend actions for which additional support is required. Moreover, 
an  EU  approach  will  provide  the  necessary  economies  of  scale,  to  develop,  implement,  and 
foster the dissemination of innovative solutions.  

Water  is  not  confined  to  administrative  borders.  The  transboundary  characteristics  of  water 
management  require  a  holistic  and  integrated  European  approach  applied  at  the  river  basin 
level,  as  reflected  in  European  water  policy.  Regional  and  international  coordination  is 
instrumental to achieve this. 

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Note for Water Directors, 'Preliminary analysis of the River Basin Management Plans in 2009'. Water 
Directors meeting, Warsaw, 8-9 December 2011. 
European  Environment  Agency  (EEA),  2010.  Water  resources:  quantity  and  flows  -  SOER  2010 
thematic assessment. 

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Demand  side  measures  (procurement,  regulatory  frameworks,  standard  setting,  etc.)  are  of 
crucial importance to the deployment and uptake of water related innovations, and should be 
identified by the EIP. European regulation is a major driver for innovation and business. The 
EIP  can  facilitate  innovative  solutions  to  be  adequately  translated  into  policy  developments 
and implementation. The procurement of water related infrastructure by public authorities and 
utilities  has  the  potential  to  be  a  key  driver  for  the  development  and  uptake  of  innovative 
solutions. Other regulatory frameworks, such as the Eco-design directive, could be considered 
relevant  for  improving  the  market  uptake  of  innovative  designs  which  support  policy 
objectives. Relevant standards may need to be developed or updated.  

EU  instruments  focusing  on  the  innovation  supply  side,  e.g.  research  and  development 
funding,  need  to  be  adequately  linked  to  demand  side  actions,  measures  and  policies  which 
are  needed  to  foster  innovations.  The  EIP  will  combine  a  strong  research  and  innovation 
dimension  with  demand  side  measures  across  political  areas  to  shorten  time  to  market  with 
innovation support actions at EU and national level (i.e. reviewing regulations and proposing 
new  rules,  accelerating  product  approvals,  fast-tracking  standard  settings,  deploying  public 
procurement  strategies,  etc.).  Finally,  the  EIP  will  create  cross  border  opportunities  for 
industries, in particular SMEs, to find partners in developing innovative solutions throughout 
the entire EU. 

4.2 Objectives and targets 

In line with  the challenges  and  opportunities  set out  above, and in view of the relevance of 
European level action, the EIP on Water should contribute to achieving the overall objectives 
of EU water policy as defined by the Water Framework Directive and the Resource Efficiency 
Roadmap and  to  overcome  implementation  difficulties.  More  precisely,  the  strategic 
objectives of the EIP are by 2020:  

• 

• 

• 

To  provide  safe,  available  and  affordable  water  for  all,  while  ensuring  sufficient 
water for the environment.  

To  achieve  the  relative  decoupling  of  the  depletion  of  water  resources  from  the 
level  of  economic  activity  in  key  EU  sectors  (including  energy,  farming  and 
chemicals).  

To maintain  and  enhance  the  good  status  of  waters in  all  EU  river  basins  –  in 
terms  of  quality,  quantity  and  use,  and  in  the  context  of  increasing  pressures  on 
water resources.  

In  order  to  measure  progress  towards  these  strategic  objectives  and  create  an  incentive  for 
stakeholders  to  actively  engage,  targets  are  developed.  They  reflect  the  different  areas  of 
action  embedded  in  the  strategic  objective  and  the  EIP  itself.  The  targets  will  be  further 
elaborated in the Strategic Implementation Plan to be developed during autumn 2012 and will 
be closely inter-related with the Blueprint for Europe's waters planned for November 2012.  

Under these conditions the EIP will aim at the following targets for 2020:  

• 

All  River  Basin  Management  Plans  implemented  on  time  in  2015.  As  pressure  on 
water  continues  to  develop,  the  objectives  continue  to  be  met  with  the  impacts  of 
droughts and floods minimised, adapted crops, increased water retention in soils and 

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efficient  irrigation.  Alternative  water  supply  options  are  only  relied  upon  when  no 
cheaper savings opportunities exist.  

Water  losses  are  reduced to  sustainable  levels  across  the  EU,  through  innovation 
focusing on the regions where such losses are the most acute problem 

Water  abstraction  is  below  20%  of  available  renewable  water  resources  in  all 
regions.  

• 

• 

This should lead to the following innovation and competitiveness benefits:  

• 

• 

• 

The  time  to  market  of  water-related  innovations  in  Europe  is  shorter  than  in 
economies at a similar level of development. Europe is the global market leader in 
innovative solutions that effectively deal with water-related challenges.  

EU  water  management  related  eco-industries have  increased their  EU  turn-over  by 
20% and their employment opportunities by 20% by 203012. 

Sustainable  water  management  practices  are  brought  to  the  global  market  and  are 
integrated into EU and Member States' water-related cooperation with neighbouring 
and developing countries. 

The EIP itself will have the following operational targets: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

By the end of 2012 to agree on a Strategic Implementation Plan. 

By 2013 to effectively function as a platform for public and private stakeholders to 
cooperate efficiently on developing innovative solutions for water related challenges. 

By 2013 to establish a web-based Market Place for water innovations, which allows 
supply and demand side actors across the EU to co-operate. 

By 2015 to show first results of actions to remove major barriers to innovation at the 
EU,  Member  State  and  regional  levels  to  ensure  that  legislation  and  financial 
instruments support innovations. 

By  2020  to  show  tested  solutions  for  10  major  water  related  challenges  that  have 
been successfully disseminated and scaled up. 

5. Focus areas for innovation 

In order to optimize the activities in addressing barriers to innovation, developing marketable 
solutions and designing dissemination strategies, three Work Packages are proposed: Urban 
Water Management, Rural Water Management and Industrial Water Management. Extensive 
consultations  have  provided  broad  support  for  this  approach  from  stakeholders.  The  use  of 
work  packages  is  pragmatic  to  organize  the  output  activities  of  the  EIP  through  a  coherent 

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Water related industries account for 33% of the global market for eco-industries, estimated at EUR 1.15 
trillion in turnover a year in 2010. Employment in water related industries account for 22% of the total 
employment in eco-industries in Europe in 2010. Ecorys study on the number of jobs dependent on the 
Environment and Resource Efficiency improvements (February 2012). 

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group of stakeholders which deal with relatively similar challenges. The following indicative 
description serves as a basis for the development of the work packages.  

• 

Urban water management 

Urban water management is under increasing pressure as a result of further urbanization (over 
80%  of  the  population  is  expected  to  be  living  in  urban  areas  in  EU  countries  in  205013). 
There is a need for an integrated approach with the urban water cycle at the core, involving all 
stakeholders  that  have  an  impact  on,  or  have  to  deal  with,  water  challenges.  This  includes 
professional stakeholders, as well as citizens and local governments to guarantee acceptance 
and uptake of innovations. Innovative solutions focussing on the relationship between water 
and  energy,  water  efficiency  (domestic  and  industrial),  water  quality,  water  infrastructure, 
recreation,  public  health  and  ICT-enabled  user  awareness  will  be  of  key  importance.  Work 
will  be  coordinated  with  the  European  Commission's  'Smart  Cities  and  Communities 
Initiative' in the fields of energy, transport and ICT.  

• 

Rural water management 

In  the  rural  area,  biodiversity,  agriculture,  spatial  planning  and  land  use  management 
influence  each  other  and  may  compete  with  each  other  with  regard  to  the  available  water 
resources. In addition, rural areas can play an important part in the prevention of floods and 
mitigating  the  effects  of  water  scarcity  and  droughts.  The  EIP  on  Water  will  address  the 
interface between water management at the farm level and the allocation of water resources to 
agriculture  at  the  catchment  and  water  body  level  and  the  permissible  pressures  on  water 
quality. The EIP will  coordinate  with the EIP on agricultural  productivity and sustainability 
which will address water quality and quantity issues at the farm level.  

• 

Industrial water management 

Innovations in industrial processes, ICT applications and new technologies for more efficient 
treatment will reduce costs and energy needs and decrease pollution. In industries with high 
water  use,  like  energy  production  or  the  chemical  industry,  innovations  to  increase  water 
efficiency  in  production  processes  will  have  positive  effects  on  decreasing  the  total  water 
footprint. The EIP on Water will focus on facilitating the possibility for industry and SME's to 
disseminate these innovations. Complementarities will be investigated with the EIP on Raw 
Materials. 

A number of Transversal Themes will be defined to deal with cross-cutting issues which are 
relevant for the activities of two or all three work packages. They could include, for example, 
river  basin  management,  climate  change  and  water,  the  energy  and  water  nexus,  water 
governance, water related development cooperation, financial engineering or standardization.  

6. Implementation of the EIP  

A Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) will form the foundation for the output of the EIP. 
Through a bottom-up approach, the SIP will set out the priorities for actions within the work 
packages  and  determine  the  transversal  themes  that  should  be  addressed.  The  SIP  will  take 

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Population  Division  of  the  Department  of  Economic  and  Social  Affairs  of  the  United  Nations 
Secretariat,  World  Population  Prospects:  The  2006  Revision  and  World  Urbanization  Prospects:  The 
2007 Revision, http://esa.un.org/unup 

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full account of the relevant EU funding programmes14 and initiatives to optimise the impact of 
funding  and  contribute  to  the  EIP  objectives.  The  SIP  will  also  scrutinize  the  targets  of  the 
EIP, taking into account the Blueprint to safeguard Europe's waters.  

6.1 Output 

The implementation of the EIP will lead to the following outputs: 

• 

Innovation Sites  

A  first  set  of  Innovation  Sites  will  be  launched  by  2013  to  identify  barriers  to  innovation, 
develop, test and demonstrate concrete activities, actions, prototypes and solutions in line with 
the  SIP,  in  relation  to  a  particular  water  challenge.  They  can  range  from  physical 
demonstration sites to cooperation projects or development of networks. The Innovation Sites 
will play a key role in the implementation of the EIP.  

• 

Dissemination of innovative solutions 

The  EIP  will  facilitate  the  development  of  strategies  to  disseminate  breakthroughs  and 
innovative solutions for the major water related challenges, accelerating their market uptake. 

• 

Addressing water innovation barriers 

The development of solutions to bring innovations successfully to the market and disseminate 
them  is  hampered  by  a  variety  of  barriers  (regulatory,  financial,  standardization,  technical, 
social,  etc.).  The  EIP  will  identify  major  barriers  to  innovation.  The  EIP  will  undertake  a 
mapping  of  the  measures  and  actions  needed  to  overcome  the  bottlenecks  and  define 
opportunities for speeding-up breakthroughs and innovation for every step of the value chain 
from research to market.  

• 

Water innovation 'Market Place' 

A web-based Market Place will be developed and established by 2013. The Market place will 
allow  those  who  own  the  problems  and  those  who  can  provide  the  solutions  to  interact 
regardless  of  their  geographical  location.  The  Market  Place  will  be  monitored  through  the 
governance structure of the EIP and will be connected to the other areas of output.  

6.2 Funding 

The EIP will identify how different funding programmes at EU, national and regional level as 
well as private sources can best interact in order to accelerate the development of innovative 
solutions,  for  example  through  making  use  of  the  network  of  eco-innovation  financiers, 
established under the Eco-Innovation Action Plan. The EC will consider relevant support for 
the  activities  under  the  EIP  through  the  7th  Framework  Programme.  Member  States  are 
encouraged  to  include  relevant  investments  in  the  future  programmes  under  the  Structural 
Funds 2014-2020.  

7. Governance  

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Including through national and regional research and innovation strategies of the future EU Cohesion 
policy 

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The  EIP  will  require  the  participation  and  commitment  of  all  relevant  stakeholders 
representing the entire innovation value chain.  

The EIP will make use of and closely coordinate with the activities and outcomes of existing 
European,  national  and  regional  initiatives.  These  include  the  relevant  Joint  Programming 
Initiatives, national and regional research and innovation programmes, European Technology 
Platforms, financial mechanisms, other EIPs and other innovation initiatives, in order to avoid 
duplication and promote synergies. 

The  governance  model  will  allow  for  a  bottom  up  approach  to  prioritize  areas  in  which 
innovation  actions  can  and  should  be  pursued.  At  the  same  time,  it  will  ensure  the 
commitment at the highest decision making level from all involved stakeholders.  

Figure 1: Visual presentation of the governance model 

A High Level Steering Group (HLSG) will be established, upon invitation by the European 
Commission. The HLSG will be chaired by the Commissioner for the Environment and will 
be comprised of other European Commissioners, Member State representatives, the European 
Parliament  and  a  wide  variety  of  stakeholders.  Members  will  be  invited  in  their  personal 
capacity and will represent the entire innovation value chain. The HLSG will set the mandate 
for the EIP and will adopt the SIP and a multi-annual roadmap for 2012-2020. The role of 
the  HLSG  during  the  implementation  stage  will  be  reviewed  following  the  adoption  of  the 
SIP. 

The  HLSG  will  appoint  a  Task  Force  which  will  mirror  the  composition  of  the  HLSG, 
linking  the  operational  and  decision  making  levels.  The  Task  Force  will  be  responsible  for 
drafting  the  SIP,  guaranteeing  a  bottom  up  approach.  After  the  adoption  of  the  SIP,  the 
configuration of the Task Force can be reviewed, with the possibility of increasing the number 
of stakeholders to be represented during the implementation phase while maintaining effective 
decision making capacity. During the implementation phase of the EIP, the Task Force will be 
instrumental  in monitoring the progress of the activities based on the targets that have been 
set. In addition, the Task Force will provide coordination and cross fertilisation between the 
activities of the EIP and will support the development of dissemination strategies. 

Operational  Networks  will  be  established  for  each  work  package,  consisting  of  all  the 
stakeholders relevant to each work package and of the actors that participate in the Innovation 
Sites. In order to ensure maximal exchange of knowledge and experiences and stimulate the 
extension  of  the  activities  of  the  EIP,  the  networks  will  be  open  to  other  water  related 
innovation  activities  in  Europe.  The  signature  of  a  Declaration  of  Commitment  will  be 
required for all members to the networks. The networks will be responsible for coordination 

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between  the  work  packages,  liaising  with  the  Innovation  Sites  and  for  facilitating  the  EIP 
output  actions  (finding  market  opportunities,  addressing  the  various  barriers  to  innovation, 
identifying  funding  opportunities  and  developing  dissemination  strategies).  The  activities  of 
the networks will be coordinated and supervised by the Task Force. 

An annual 'EIP on Water meeting' will be organized, to allow for all actors to convene and 
discuss the output actions of the EIP. At this meeting, the networks will gather to report on the 
activities,  monitor  developments  and  assess  progress  of  the  Innovation  Sites.  After  the 
meeting of the work package networks, the transversal themes will come together to discuss 
progress and areas where future action is required. After these meetings, the Task Force will 
convene,  where  the  networks  and  transversal  themes  will  report  and  receive  strategic 
guidance. During these meetings, the advancement towards the targets will be measured. 

The European Commission will function as a driver and facilitator of the process of the EIP. 
An EIP secretariat will be established by the European Commission, which will support the 
Task Force in the development of the SIP and support the implementation phase of the EIP. 
After the adoption of the SIP, the European Commission will assess the Plan and propose how 
it will contribute to the delivery of the objectives of the EIP. 

8. Next steps 

The European Commission envisages the following milestones: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Consideration  of  the  EIP  Communication  by  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council by May 2012. 

Establishment of the HLSG and kick off meeting before summer 2012. 

Appointment  of  the  Task  Force  and  establishment  of  the  EIP  secretariat  by 
September 2012. 

Development of the SIP by the Task Force before December 2012.  

Adoption of the SIP by the HLSG in December 2012. The Commission will present 
this  Plan  to  the  European  Parliament  and  Council  together  with  its  response  to  the 
Plan. 

From  early  2013,  start  the  implementation  of  the  EIP:  e.g.  selection  of  the  1st 
Innovation  Sites,  establishment  of  the  work  package  networks,  implementation  of 
demand side measures, development of the web based market place etc 

The  European  Commission  will  organize  a  review  of  EIPs  during  2013  to  assess 
progress. 

Regular reviews of progress in implementation and against the targets. 

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