COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Water Resilience Strategy
Date: 2025-06-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU strategy, consumer protection, security of supply, water, water management, water pollution, water protection, water resources, water supply

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.6.2025  COM(2025) 280 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Water Resilience Strategy  
 
 
European Water Resilience Strategy 

1. 

INTRODUCTION – SETTING THE SCENE 

Water is life. Human beings, most species and the nature we live in and depend upon, cannot 
survive without water. Our environment, our economy, our food and energy security and our 
quality of life rely on a stable supply of water of the right quality.  

However,  today  we  can  no  longer  take  water  for  granted,  and  this  affects  citizens, 
businesses  and  the  environment.  Europe  is  the  Earth’s  fastest  warming  continent  due  to 
climate change. Climate impacts  like  extreme heat,  catastrophic floods,  prolonged  droughts 
and forest fires are increasing in frequency and severity and will continue to do so. These events 
cause health impacts and premature deaths, disruption of energy and drinking water supply and 
growing economic losses1 for business, farmers and aquaculture. If left unaddressed, water-
related  inequalities  have  the  potential  to  harm  the  overall  economic,  social  and  territorial 
cohesion of the EU2 and globally. This is especially true for the EU’s outermost regions, where 
climate  pressures  and  infrastructure  gaps  make  access  to  clean  and  safe  water  particularly 
challenging. Access to clean and affordable water is a human right and a public good. 

Water resilience is a matter of security and crisis preparedness for the EU. Water is a basic 
need and a critical resource. As outlined in the Preparedness Union Strategy, security of clean 
and affordable freshwater supply must be “a guiding priority” for the Union.3  

Investing  in  sustainable  water  management  and  innovation  will  strengthen  Europe's 
businesses and boost competitiveness. Five of the top ten long term global risks for businesses 
identified by the World Economic Forum4 are water related. Unsustainable water management 
undermines  our  overall  security  of  supply  and  competitiveness,  as  recognised  in  the 
Competitiveness Compass5 and the Clean Industrial Deal6. This calls for a better integration of 
water  resilience  into  business  decisions  and  an  integrated  vision  of  sustainable  water 
management, reflecting long term climate scenarios. 

Water resilience is a significant business opportunity for EU industry. Europe is a global 
leader in water technology, accounting for 40% of all related patents globally.7 In 2022 alone, 
the sector generated EUR 111.7 billion in value added and supported 1.6 million jobs across 

1   Droughts have caused extraordinary losses of around EUR 40 billion in 2022 alone. Floods caused, between 
1980 and 2023, losses of EUR 325 billion. Adding to these challenges, water pollution generates costs ranging 
from  EUR  55  billion  to  EUR  73  billion.  See  Commission  study  on  cost  of  inaction,  in  the  context  of  the 
upcoming Environmental Implementation Review. 

2   Ninth  Report  on  Economic,  Social  and  Territorial  Cohesion,  Chapter  4  'Green  Transition',  2024 

(https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information-sources/cohesion-report_en). 
 European Union Preparedness Union Strategy, JOIN(2025) 130 final. 

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4   “Global Risks Report 2024” These five top global, also water-related risks are: 1) Extreme Weather events, 2) 
Critical Change to Earth Systems, 3) Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, 4) Natural resources shortages 
and 5) Pollution https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/. 

5   COM (2025) 30 final A Competitiveness Compass for the EU. 
6   COM(2025) 85 final The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation.  
7   European Patent Office, “Innovation in water-related technologies” (July 2024), available here. 

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81 500 enterprises, most of which are SMEs8. We must leverage this position and strengthen 
the  EU’s  competitive  advantage  within  the  Single  Market  and  abroad.  For  instance,  within 
certain sectors, there is the potential to lower water and operating costs by up to EUR 2.8 billion 
per year, create an additional 9 000 jobs per year, while at the same time developing necessary 
worldwide expertise9.  

Strong European global leadership on water resilience is an opportunity to build strategic 
alliances  with  international  partners.  Worldwide  competition  for  dwindling  supplies  of 
freshwater exacerbates conflict and displacement. At the current pace, global water demand 
will surpass what is available by 40% in 203010. Worldwide, water-related disasters displaced 
40 million people and inflicted more than EUR 480 billion in damages in 2024.11 Building on 
the global consensus12 that our current model of managing water is not sustainable, the EU is 
determined to make the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference a milestone in driving progress 
towards the Sustainable Development Goals.   

For all these reasons, it is high time to put water resilience at the top of the political agenda 
as conveyed by the European Council13, European Parliament14 and European Economic and 
Social  Committee15.  This  is  why,  in  her  2024-2029  Political  Guidelines,  President  von  der 
Leyen announced a new European Water Resilience Strategy. This should help all parts of the 
EU to improve the management of its waterbodies, tackle scarcity, enhance the competitive 
innovative edge of the water industry16, whilst embracing a clean and circular approach. 

Member States have organised their water management in different ways, involving various 
forms of public or private ownership, or a combination of the two. This Strategy fully respects 
these national  choices  and recognises that one size does not  fit all, in  particular taking into 
account that water availability varies considerably between different Member States  as does 
the vulnerability of different sectors to water stress.  

2. 

THE KEY OBJECTIVES  

This  Strategy sets  out a  pathway to  make Europe water  resilient, firmly  rooted in  the 2050 
vision  put  forward  by  the  EU  at  the  2023  UN  Water  Conference  for  a  water  resilient  EU, 
providing  water  security  for  all.  This  entails  the  protection  and  restoration  of  aquatic 
ecosystems, and a fair balance between water supply and water demand responding to current 
needs,  including  the  realization  of  the  human  right  to  safe  drinking  water  and  sanitation, 
without compromising the rights of future generations.  

To put Europe on a pathway of water resilience, we must work on three objectives: 

8   Eurostat,  “Businesses  in  the  water  supply,  sewerage,  waste  management  and  remediation  sector”  (data 

extracted in February 2025), available here. 

9   Water Europe (2024) Socio-economic study on the value of the EU investing in water. 
10   Report of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, 2024. 
11   Global water monitor: 2024 summary report | PreventionWeb. 
12   Achieved at the 2023 UN Water Conference. 
13   European Council Conclusions of 23 March 2023 - EUCO 4/23. 
14   European Parliament resolution of 7 May 2025 on the European Water Resilience Strategy (2024/2104(INI)). 
15   The EESC Umbrella Opinion “A call for an EU Blue Deal” CCMI/209 of 25 October 2023. 
16   In  this  Communication,  water  industry  covers  undertakings  -  whether  public  or  private  -  involved  in  the 
supplying of (drinking) water and the treatment of wastewaters including urban and industrial wastewaters. It 
includes  amongst  others  water  engineering,  water  infrastructure  building,  developing  and  supplying  water 
related equipment and technologies. 

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1.  Restoring and protecting the water cycle as basis for sustainable water supply. 

2.  Building a water-smart economy together with citizens and economic actors in a way 
that supports EU competitiveness, is attractive to investors and supports a thriving EU 
water industry. 

3.  Securing clean and affordable water and sanitation for all at all times, and empowering 

citizens for water resilience. 

EU  legislation  and  policies,  including  the  European  Green  Deal,  provide  a  strong  basis  to 
achieve these objectives17. Member States – and their local or regional authorities – are often 
best  placed  to  deal  with  water  management  since  they  know  their  own  circumstances, 
challenges and possible solutions best. This Strategy fully recognises that Member States are 
free to organise their water supply systems as they see fit, within the boundaries of EU laws. 
To support Member States’ initiatives and enhance cross-border water cooperation, it identifies 
five  areas  of  EU  action:  (i)  governance  and  implementation;  (ii)  finance,  investments  and 
infrastructure;  (iii)  digitalisation;  (iv)  research  and  innovation,  industry  and  skills;  and  (v) 
security and preparedness. 

2.1 

Restoring and protecting the water cycle as basis for water sustainable supply 

A  well-functioning  water  cycle  is  essential  for  water  resilience.  Water  moves  in  a  cycle 
which  naturally  stores,  purifies  and  releases  water,  a  process  that  depends  on  healthy  soils, 
wetlands,  forests  and  other  ecosystems.  However,  overexploitation  and  mismanagement  of 
water  resources,  pollution  as  well  as  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation  have 
deeply affected this cycle and severely reduced both the quantity and the quality of water.  

The existing EU framework for freshwater, including the Water Framework Directive,18 
the Flood Management Directive19, and the Nature Restoration Regulation20, provides a 
comprehensive  regulatory  framework  for  Europe’s  water  cycle.  However,  effective 
implementation will be necessary to restore the water cycle in quantity and quality. The Water 
Framework Directive’s objective to achieve good status of all water bodies by 202721 and the 
objectives  of  the  Floods  Directive  remain  the  compass  for  action.  The  Commission  will 
prioritise enforcement based on its latest assessment of national River Basin Management Plans 
(RBMPs) and Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) in dialogue with Member States.22 To 
further  support  the  work  of  Member  States  in  addressing  water  scarcity  and  droughts,  the 

17   See on overview of key objectives set out in existing legislation in Annex II. 
18   Directive  2000/60/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  October  2000  establishing  a 
framework  for  Community  action  in  the  field  of  water  policy  (OJ  L  327,  22.12.2000,  p.  1,  ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/60/oj). 

19   Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment 
and management of flood risks (OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27–34, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2007/60/oj). 
20   Regulation  (EU)  2024/1991  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  June  2024  on  nature 
(OJ  L,  2024/1991,  29.7.2024,  ELI: 
(EU)  2022/869 

restoration  and  amending  Regulation 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1991/oj). 

21   EEA  EU  State  of  Water  Report  https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-state-of-water-

2024 

22   The Commission issued country-specific recommendations arounds 7 clusters: a) accelerated action to reduce 
the compliance gap; b) scaling up investments; c) tackling key pressures; d) enhancing resilience against water 
related extremes (including specific recommendation on effective implementation of the Floods Directive); e) 
transboundary cooperation; f) exemptions and g) monitoring, assessment and reporting. For more information 
see https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/water-framework-directive/implementation-reports_en  

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Commission will develop indicators for water scarcity and publish a Technical Guidance on 
Drought  Management  Plans. The  Nature  Restoration  Regulation  provides  an  opportunity  to 
support water quantity management and enhance resilience against both droughts and floods 
with  nature-based  solutions.  Water  and  climate  resilience  must  be  fully  integrated  in  the 
national Restoration Plans to be developed by 2026.  

The 2008 Marine Strategy Framework Directive’s goal of achieving good environmental 
status for marine waters by 2020 was not met. Marine biodiversity is declining, and pollution 
from rivers continues to harm marine life. Following a recent evaluation23, the Commission 
will  revise  the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive  to  improve  coherence  with  the  EU 
freshwater  acquis,  focusing  on  delivering  results  by  reducing  reporting  requirements,  and 
improving data management and governance across the Regional Seas Conventions.  

In  addition  to  existing  legislation,  we  need  to  step  up  our  efforts  to  improve  water 
retention on land. Consistent with the EU’s Ocean Pact, we need to give priority to using 
the full potential of our ecosystems to store, purify, release, and restore water on land and 
at sea, based on a source-to-sea approach. On its way back to the sea, freshwater is naturally 
stored in soils, forests, wetlands, floodplains and other ecosystems. There is a need to redress 
the  natural  sponge  function  of  our  landscapes  to  replenish  our  groundwater  reserve  and  to 
protect biodiversity. To better coordinate and scale up existing initiatives24 aimed at increasing 
water retention on land, the Commission will develop a “Sponge Facility”, providing a coherent 
framework for new and existing initiatives to increase water retention on land. As set out in the 
Vision  for Agriculture  and  Food,  the  Commission  also  intends  to  incentivise  and  support 
farming practices that recover, maintain or improve soil health, such as organic farming and 
agroecological approaches that retain water in soil. In urban areas, “sponge cities”, carved with 
nature-based solutions to absorb and release water in a controlled way, should be promoted. In 
addition, integrated management of fresh and marine waters is essential. Riverine pollution, 
disruption of the sediment flows, and water shortages, all have a strong impact on the health of 
marine ecosystems and the viability of the social and economic activities that depend on them, 
such as fisheries, aquaculture or tourism25. Coastal areas play a critical role in the water cycle 
and  are  crucial  in  preventing  land-based  pollution  from  entering  the  sea.  Effective  spatial 
planning can reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities, cities, seaports, low-laying river 
deltas to  climate  change, while  seaports also  need to  contribute to  minimise pollution from 
ships by adhering to relevant laws and policies. This is also one of the topics to be addressed 
in the EU Port Strategy announced by the Commission. Finally, a sustainable and integrated 
management  of  inland  waterways  can  significantly  contribute  to  water  resilience,  by  better 
adapting to droughts and floods, while maintaining the connectivity of navigational routes. 

Storing water in reservoirs and other man-made structures requires particular attention 
and careful planning and coordination since many economic sectors need a stable supply 
of water and often have different needs over the year26. Action on water management should 
prioritise  nature-based  solutions,  but  also  needs  to  rely  on  man-made  structures  or  a 
combination of both. The planning of new dams and reservoirs should carefully evaluate their 

23   Evaluation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (SWD(2025)50) and its annex.  
24   Adaptation and Soil Missions, Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes, the Urban Agenda for the European 
Union  (UAEU)  Thematic  Partnership  on  ‘Water  Sensitive City’  and Interreg  Danube  Region  Sponge  City 
project. 

25   Macias, D., Bisselink, B., Carmona-Moreno, C. et al. The overlooked impacts of freshwater scarcity on oceans 

as evidenced by the Mediterranean Sea. Nat Commun 16, 998 (2025). 

26   Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) under the Water Framework Directive Guidance No.  24 on River 

Basin Management in a Changing Climate, available here.  

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environmental impacts, involving all relevant actors, and ensure that such actions are part of 
an integrated and sustainable water management  strategy,  fully reflecting  long-term  climate 
reference scenarios and projections, to avoid stranded investments.   

Water quality and quantity are two sides of the same coin, and we must continue working 
on  preventing  pollution  at  source.  In  2021,  only  39.5%  of  EU’s  surface  waters  had  good 
ecological  status,  and only  26.8%  a good chemical  status.27 Action must be stepped up and 
focus on preventing unsustainable land use and management as well as hydro-morphological 
changes,  structural  mismanagement  of  water  due  to  both  legal  and  illegal  over-abstraction, 
inefficiencies  in  water  use  across  sectors,  and  water  pollution  linked  to  activities  such  as 
agriculture, industrial production, mining and waste management.  

Water  pollution  has  a  direct  impact  on  health.  It  can  result  in  water-borne  diseases  and 
exacerbate antimicrobial resistance. The COVID-19 crisis showed the importance of tracking 
pathogens and health parameters in wastewaters following a One Health approach, as human, 
animal, plant and environmental health are tightly interlinked.28 The Commission will continue 
supporting  capacity  building  and  infrastructure  development  on  wastewater  surveillance 
particularly as climate change is worsening the health risks of water-related diseases29.  

Urgent  action  is  needed  to  tackle  pollutants  which  pose  a  risk  to  our  vital  sources  of 
drinking water. Highly persistent pollutants, such as PFAS30, keep accumulating across EU 
waters and cause health impacts estimated to range between EUR 52 and 84 billion annually31. 
This  is  also  a  major  source  of  public  concern.  Water  and  marine  pollution,  including  from 
microplastics,  must  be  tackled  at  source  or  across  pathways  in  line  with  the  Zero  Pollution 
Action Plan32. In addition, the EU must take decisive efforts to clean up sites already strongly 
polluted  by  these,  and  other,  ubiquitous,  persistent,  bio-accumulative  and  toxic  substances, 
particularly  where  such  substances  are  still  indispensable  for  society  and  industrial 
applications.  Cleanup  should  be  based  on  the  polluter  pays  principle,  with  public  money 
allocated to clean up orphan sites, where no liable entity could be found. While remediation 
efforts are very costly,33 research and innovation can significantly reduce these costs through 
novel, including bio-based, technologies, which will be promoted in the Bioeconomy Strategy. 
In addition, if partners are found which are willing to invest alongside the EU, the Commission 
will put forward a proposal to establish a public-private initiative to achieve a technological 

27   Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation of the Water 
Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) (Third river basin management 
plans Second flood risk management plans), COM(2025) 2 final. 

28   Council  Recommendation  2023/C  220/01  on  stepping  up  EU  actions  to  combat  antimicrobial  resistance 
(AMR); pharmaceutical package; and, recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive ((EU) 2024/3019). 
29   European Environment Agency (2024)  Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: 

focus on floods, droughts and water quality. EEA Report 3/2024.  

30   Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 
31   Nordic Council of Ministers, 2019 data.  
32   The actions on PFAS remediation set out in this Strategy complement the  Commission’s efforts to address 
PFAS emissions at the source under the chemicals legislation REACH. In this context it should be noted, that 
by the end of 2025, the Commission expects to adopt a restriction on all PFAS in firefighting foams, one of 
the main emission sources. 

33   The economic cost of cleaning PFAS contamination in Europe has been estimated to range from EUR 5 to 
100 billion a year, with the water sector alone facing an increase of up to EUR 18 billion per year for drinking 
water treatment, while cost for wastewater treatment and sewage sludge management is estimated to be even 
higher.  This  cost  has  been  estimated  by  the  Forever  Lobbying  Project;  more  information  available  at 
https://foreverpollution.eu/lobbying/   

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breakthrough in feasible and affordable methods for the detection and remediation of PFAS 
and other persistent chemicals. 

Limiting the pollution of aquatic ecosystems by nutrients should be placed at the centre 
of restoring water quality.  Nutrients  from agriculture, urban settlements and other sources 
impact human health, and cause algal blooms and oxygen-depletion which are lethal to aquatic 
ecosystems. This remains a major challenge and causes socio-economic losses estimated to be 
between  EUR  75  and  485  billion  a  year  regarding  nitrogen  alone34.  Such  costs  call  for 
accelerated action from source to sea, including an improved implementation of the Nitrates 
Directive in all Member States. 

The  Commission  will  assist  Member  States  in  assessing  the  tailored  nutrient  loads 
reductions  that  are  needed,  including  through  enhanced  modelling,  interactive  maps  and 
exchanges of best practices. The Commission will continue to support improved and integrated 
nutrient  management  through  different  existing  fora,  contribute  to  fund  manure  storage 
facilities and promote nutrients circularity which can help reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers. 
In  synergy  with  the  work  stream  for  livestock  announced  in  the Vision  for Agriculture  and 
Food, these actions will complement the development of a long-term vision that respects the 
diversity  of  livestock  production  in  the  EU  while  ensuring  its  sustainability.  It  will  also 
reinforce  the  efforts  to  encourage  farming  extensification  in  regions  with  high  livestock 
concentration. 

Flagship actions - Restoring and protecting the water cycle 
Establish, including through Structured Dialogues with Member States, 
implementation  priorities  of  the  Water  Framework  and  the  Floods 
Directives, focusing on water quality and quantity.  
Revise the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. 
Develop water scarcity indicators and a Technical Guidance on Drought 
Management Plans. 
Support addressing main sources of pollution: 

•  Public-private initiative to achieve a technological breakthrough 
in  feasible  and  affordable  methods  for  the  detection  and 
remediation of PFAS and other persistent chemicals, if the right 
partners are found. 

•  Launch  an  Assistance  Toolbox  for  Member  States  to  support 
actions to reduce nutrients pollution, including through enhanced 
modelling, interactive maps and exchanges of best practices.  

Timeline 
2025-2026 

2027 
2026-2027 

2027 

2026-2027 

2.2 

Building  a  water-smart  economy  that  leaves  no  one  behind,  supports  EU 
competitiveness and attracts investors 

Water is a finite resource that must be used efficiently. We must reduce demand across all 
sectors  of  the  economy,  by  promoting  water  savings,  efficiency,  and  reuse.  Faced  with 
increased  water  scarcity  and  droughts,  this  is  essential  to  continue  securing  water  supply, 
meeting the demands from different users in a fair way and supporting aquatic and terrestrial 
ecosystems. This is particularly important in regions with acute hotspots of overexploitation, 

34   Van Grinsven et al, Costs and Benefits of Nitrogen for Europe and Implications for Mitigation, 2013. The N 
emissions and damage costs include emissions from all sectors to surface, ground- and marine waters and to 
air. 

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where  water  scarcity  is  becoming  systemic  and  a  significant  constraint  to  economic 
development, including some remote and island communities where freshwater availability is 
limited.  With  further  climate  change  the  regions  affected  by  water  scarcity  will  increase 
substantially35.  Efficiency  must  focus  in  particular  on  the  most  intensive  water  users,  both 
current  and  future,  which  also  have  the  biggest  interest  in  avoiding  excessive  abstraction 
leading to possible disruption of supply.  

Water  efficiency  is  key  and  must  come  first.  This  Strategy  is  accompanied  by  a 
Recommendation  on  the  application  of  the  water  efficiency  first  principle,  inspired  by 
experience  with  the  energy  efficiency  first  principle36.  It  sets  out  guiding  principles  for 
decision-making and investments based on a clear and predictable, yet flexible, prioritisation 
in the way water demand and supply are managed. Across the EU, the priority should be to 
curb demand and over-abstractions. This should be followed by efficiency by design and reuse, 
while increased supply should be the last resort option.  

To  guide  action  on  water  efficiency  across  the  EU,  in  view  of  the  potential  for  water 
savings37, the EU should aim to enhance water efficiency by at least 10%  by 2030. The 
Commission will work with Member States and stakeholders to develop a joint methodology 
for  water  efficiency  targets,  taking  into  account  territorial  and  other  differences  between 
countries,  regions  and  sectors.  On  that  basis,  in  the  review  of  this  strategy  in  2027,  the 
Commission intends to develop common benchmarks. Some Member States have already set 
specific targets to enhance water efficiency at national, regional or river basin level.38 Member 
States  are  encouraged  to  set  their  own  targets  for  water  efficiency,  based  on  their  national 
circumstances.  

A water-smart economy requires a better control of the resources. Based on 2010-2021 
data39,  81%  of  the  total  water  consumption  goes  to  users  that  abstract  water  directly  at  the 
source using private systems, and many Member States do not have accurate data concerning 
their  freshwater  availability.  In  line  with  the  Water  Framework  Directive,  authorities  must 
conduct  up-to-date  assessments  of  water  availability  and  abstractions  by  water  users  and 
increase their efforts to register and control all abstractions, losses and returns. Deploying smart 
water metering across all economic sectors will help to achieve a rigorous monitoring of water 
flows and will also help citizens and businesses to manage their water use more efficiently. The 
Commission will promote the exchange of best practices on water balances and smart water 
metering across all economic sectors. It will also work towards the launching of an EU Water 
Infrastructure & Smart Metering for All initiative (see section 3.3). Furthermore, it will assess 
by the end of 2026 the quality of the data available on water and, where appropriate, revise the 
relevant  legislation  to  introduce  new  environmental  economic  account  modules  for  water 
accounts40. 

Particular  attention  must  be  placed  on  assessing  and,  wherever  possible,  limiting  the 
water needs that come with the clean industrial and digital transformation and to support 

35   European Environment Agency (EEA), European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), 2024. See especially 

chapter 5 ‘Water security’ for detailed information on water scarcity. 

36   https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-targets-directive-and-rules/energy-

efficiency-first-principle_en  

37   Water savings for a water resilient Europe, European Environmental Agency 2025, forthcoming. 
38   For example, France has set a target to reduce water abstraction by 10% until 2030. 
39   Water Europe (2024) Socio-economic study on the value of the EU investing in water. 
40   Regulation (EU) 2024/3024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 amending 

Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 as regards introducing new environmental economic account modules. 

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it through water smart planning.  Key sectors for the EU’s strategic autonomy such as battery 
production, semiconductors, hydrogen, microchips and datacentres consume large volumes of 
often  ultra-pure  water.41. At  the  same  time,  advancing  the  clean  energy  transition  and  the 
decarbonisation of our EU energy system will help to enhance water management42. In this 
context, savings in water and energy, which usually go hand in hand, must be maximised, and 
water resilience must get particular attention in spatial planning. In particular, to promote water 
savings  across  data  centres,  the  Commission  will  rate  their  energy  efficiency  and  overall 
for  water 
sustainability  and  propose  minimum  performance  standards, 
consumption43. To support Member States in identifying the best areas for setting up water-
intensive business operations and attract the necessary water investment, the Commission will 
enhance existing visualisation tools putting together environmental data and data related to the 
water and energy grids. 

including 

Safe water reuse in agriculture, energy production, industrial processes  must be at the 
heart of integrated water management. Currently, only 2.4% of wastewater is reused in the 
EU,  with  major  differences  between  Member  States,  ranging  from  zero  to  80%44.  The 
Commission will support Member States through guidance on the safe reuse of water, as well 
as via capacity building in the context of implementing existing legislation45. By June 2028, 
the  Commission  will  evaluate  the  Water  Reuse  Regulation,  and  will  subsequently  consider 
extending its scope pending evaluation results. 

For public water supply, corresponding to 13% of the water consumption in the EU, focus 
must be on fighting leakages and unintended losses, supported by digital tools. As current 
national  leakage  levels  vary  from  8%  to  57%,  the  potential  for  improvement  is  significant, 
especially  through smart water metering  and remote sensing. The Drinking Water Directive 
requires  Member  States  to  reduce  leakages  in  water  supply  networks.  Member  States  with 
water supply leakage levels exceeding the EU-wide threshold – to be set by 2028 – will have 
to present, by 2030, national action plans to reduce leakages across their supply networks.  

Sustainable  food  systems  are  a  major  ally  for  water  resilience  and  the  Common 
Agricultural Policy has a crucial role to play. Sustainable agriculture and forest management 
contribute significantly to increase water and climate resilience, mitigating droughts and floods 
(Section  2.1).  On  the  other  hand,  the  production,  processing,  retailing,  packaging  and 
transportation  of  food  has  a  profound  impact  on  water  quality  and  quantity.  Agriculture 
accounts  for  51%  of  total  water  consumption  in  the  EU,  with  very  significant  differences 
between the North and South of Europe46. The Vision for Agriculture and Food underlined the 
importance  of  water  quality  and  availability  for  food  security.  Furthermore,  sustainable 
fisheries  and  mariculture  should  be  further  supported  as  they  are  produced  without  using 
freshwater.  

41   Water Europe (2024) Socio-economic study on the value of the EU investing in water. 
42   IEA Clean energy can help to ease the water crisis, 22 March 2023. 
43   Commission report to the Council and the Parliament pursuant to Article 12 of Directive 2023/1791 on energy 

efficiency and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 (recast). 

44   Commission  Staff  Working  Document:  Impact  Assessment  Accompanying  the  document  Proposal  for  a 
Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  minimum  requirements  for  water  reuse, 
SWD(2018) 249 final. 

45   The Water Reuse Regulation, the revised Industrial Emissions Directive and the revised Urban Wastewater 

Treatment Directive. 

46   European Environment Agency (2024) Europe's state of water 2024. EEA Report 7/2024Publications Office 
of the European Union. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-state-of-water-2024 

8 

 
 
 
 
The CAP and the national Strategic Plans provide support for agricultural practices and 
investments that enhance water efficiency, circularity and improve water retention, whilst 
curbing  nutrient  and pesticides  pollution. This  also  includes  support  for  organic  farming 
with  its  multiple  benefits  related  to  soil  health  and  its  limiting  use  of  artificial  fertilisers, 
herbicides and pesticides. It is crucial to ensure that Member States make maximum use of 
these possibilities and  promote water resilient farming practices, such as  precision farming, 
drip irrigation, water reuse, improved soil management and pesticide use, landscape features 
and  more  climate  resistant  crops.  In  the  next  programming  period,  the  Commission  will 
continue to incentivise farmers to improve the environmental and climate performance of their 
holdings, including towards better water management.  

Water efficient energy production can make a major contribution to water resilience. 17% 
of  the  EU’s  total  water  consumption  is  used  as  a  feedstock  or  cooling  agent47.  If  the  right 
partners  willing  to  invest  alongside  the  EU  are  found,  the  Commission  will  put  forward  a 
proposal  to  establish  a  public-private  initiative  to  achieve  a  technological  breakthrough  in 
feasible and affordable methods for dry cooling. 

Water  resilience  should  be  integrated  into  all  industrial  sectors.  The  revised  Industrial 
Emissions Directive will ensure that large industrial actors progressively reduce water demand, 
enhance  water  efficiency  and  improve  water  reuse  across  production  processes.  Water 
efficiency and reuse should be integrated across the most water intensive industrial sectors, in 
particular  through  the  available  stakeholder  support  platforms48.  In  this  context,  the 
Commission  will  launch  a  pilot  project  to  promote  water  efficiency  in  selected  industrial 
clusters.   

Increasing supply by using seawater to replace freshwater can be part of the solution, in 
particular in regions severely affected by water scarcity, if done sustainably. As part of an 
integrated  management  approach,  which  prioritises  curbing  demand  over  increasing  supply 
based on local conditions, seawater desalination can provide steady water supply beyond the 
hydrological  cycle.  Yet,  it  remains  costly,  very  energy  intensive,  and  entails  significant 
environmental impacts. The Commission will thus support innovation in this area with a view 
to limiting energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notably by promoting 
the  use  of  renewable  energies.  Innovative  solutions  should  also  mitigate  the  environmental 
impacts of brine disposal and increase the recycling and reuse of energy and minerals from the 
brine in the industry sector.  

Flagship actions - Building a water-smart economy that leaves no one 
behind, supports EU competitiveness and attracts investors 
Recommendation  on  the  Water  Efficiency  First  principle,  guidelines  and 
EEA report on the untapped water efficiency potential. 
Support  the  uptake  of  water  reuse  practices  also  beyond  agriculture  and 
review the Water Reuse Regulation. 
Public water supply:  

•  Support leakage reduction and infrastructure modernisation and deep 

Timeline 

2025-2026 

2026-2028 

2025-2028 

data assessment. 

47   European 

Environment 

Agency 

(2024) 

Europe’s 

state 

of 

water 

2024. 

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-state-of-water-2024 

48   For example the current Transition Pathways Stakeholder Support Platform. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
Agriculture:  

2025- 2026 

•  Maximise the use of CAP Strategic Plans for water resilience through 
knowledge  sharing  and  innovative  solutions  promoted  by  the  EU 
CAP network, the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI), as 
well as improved and independent farm advisory services. 
In the next programming period, continue to incentivise farmers to 
improve  the  environmental  and  climate  performance  of  their 
holdings, including towards better water management. 

• 

Industry and Energy:  

2025-2027 

•  Launch  a  pilot  project  to  promote  water  efficiency,  including 
waterless and closed water cycle technologies, in selected industrial 
clusters. 
Include  water  usage  among  the  parameters  of  a  common  Union 
scheme to rate the sustainability of data centres and propose water 
consumption minimum performance standards. 

• 

•  Public-private initiative to achieve a technological breakthrough in 
feasible and affordable methods for dry cooling, if the right partners 
are found. 

2.3 

Securing  clean  and  affordable  water  for  all,  empowering  consumers  and  other 
users 

Access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right. Three decades of 
development and implementation of EU water law, including the Drinking Water and Urban 
Wastewater  Treatment  Directives,  together  with  significant  EU  investment,  have  generally 
secured access to safe drinking water and sanitation across the EU in line with the European 
Pillar of Social Rights49. Still, 1,5 % of the EU population lives without basic sanitary facilities, 
and around 4% lacks proper access to safe drinking water. Actions in this area must ensure 
inclusive and equitable efforts that address the needs of women and vulnerable groups, such as 
persons with disabilities and minorities, as well as  the least affluent EU regions to promote 
social, economic and territorial  cohesion, including  the outermost regions. For the latter,  of 
particular importance are the specific climatic challenges they face coupled with inadequate 
water infrastructure, which directly affect access to drinking water. Supporting water filtration 
systems in areas with hard or very hard water is another relevant aspect. 

Consumers play an essential role in enhancing water resilience. Next to the well-established 
EU Ecolabel, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR)50 will help consumers 
reduce  water  consumption  by  choosing  less  polluting,  more  water-efficient  products.  This 
should  shift  demand  towards  water-smart  products,  boosting  the  EU's  clean  and  circular 
competitiveness. New private initiatives, like the Unified Water Label, are emerging to rate the 
water efficiency of products.   

49   https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/economy-works-people/jobs-growth-

and-investment/european-pillar-social-rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en  

50   The  recently  adopted  Ecodesign  for  Sustainable  Products  and  Energy  Labelling  Working  Plan  2025-2030 
includes  textiles/apparel,  iron  &  steel  and  aluminium  as  products  for  which  new  requirements  will  be 
developed, as well as a number of water relevant energy-related products such as dishwashers and washing 
machines for which ecodesign requirement and/or energy labels will be available. 

10 

 
 
 
 
When it comes to water use in housing and city planning, saving energy and saving water 
should always go hand in hand. The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive51, which 
supports energy efficiency including hot water efficiency as one of its objectives, and the New 
European Bauhaus provide significant opportunities to boost efforts towards water resilience 
across the built environment, while enhancing users and citizens’ involvement and the sharing 
of best practices on water resilient design planning and concepts. This will be reflected in the 
upcoming  work  programme  2026-2027  of  the  New  European  Bauhaus  Facility,  and  in  the 
upcoming  Affordable  Housing  Plan,  which  will  also  consider  sustainability  of  housing, 
including water resilience.  

More  emphasis  must  be  placed  on  awareness  and  public  involvement  in  water 
management.  Stronger  awareness  can  be  supported  by  digital  tools  and  is  key  to  increase 
citizens’ willingness to save water, but also to reduce their exposure to risks from floods or 
droughts  (see  section  3).  Ensuring  the  full  implementation  of  public  information  and 
transparency requirements will help increase citizens’ awareness and readiness to engage as 
part  of  inclusive  water  governance.  The  Commission  will  promote  the  exchange  of  best 
practices in raising awareness and equipping society to be more effectively involved in water 
management and River Basin and Flood Risk Management Plans.  

Water pricing policies based on actual use, environmental impact and capacity to pay are 
essential to ensure access to water while creating the right incentives for consumers and 
other  users.  The  Water  Framework  Directive  incentivises  sound  national  water  pricing 
policies, based on a fairly shared cost  recovery and the polluter pays principle. The revised 
Drinking  Water  and  Urban  Wastewater  Directives  ensure  regular  and  comprehensive 
information on water consumption and prices and advice how to reduce it. Exchanging best 
practices will help Member States to use these tools in the most effective way. 

Flagship actions - Securing clean and affordable water for all, 
empowering consumers and other users 
Address  the  water  footprint  of  products  when  setting  or  updating 
requirements under the ESPR and the EU Ecolabel. 
Promote best practices on public awareness and the role of water pricing to 
promote water efficiency, cost recovery and the polluter pays principle, and 
related national water governance.  
Boost efforts towards water resilience across the built environment through 
the upcoming work programme 2026-2027 of the New European Bauhaus 
Facility and in the upcoming Affordable Housing Plan. 

Timeline 

2025-2027 

2026-2027 

2026 

3. 

FIVE ENABLING AREAS TO PAVE THE WAY FOR A WATER RESILIENT EUROPE 

To  reach  the  objectives  outlined  in  the  strategy,  we  need  a  whole-of-society  approach  with 
enhanced  cooperation  between  citizens,  businesses,  civil  society  and  nature  representative 
groups  and  committed  administrations  working  across  policy  silos  and  levels,  involving  all 
stakeholders. The EU will support this with actions in five areas. 

51   The Energy Efficiency Directive requires Member States to ensure that regional and local authorities prepare 

local heating and cooling plans at least in municipalities having more than 45 000 inhabitants. 

11 

 
 
 
 
3.1  Governance and implementation to boost change 

Achieving water resilience will depend on enhanced implementation of the comprehensive 
EU water acquis, as well as stronger synergies with policies in sectors such as agriculture, 
industry,  energy,  transport  and  consumer  protection.  Regulators  have  for  decades  acted  to 
protect water in both EU environmental and health policies. Through the European Green Deal, 
several key pieces of legislation have been reviewed and modernised, driving much progress. 
Yet, as shown in a recent Commission report52, gaps in implementation and funding have so 
far considerably hampered the achievement of water legislation objectives. For example, when 
preparing  their  third  River  Basin  Management  Plans  and  second  Flood  Risk  Management 
Plans, several Member States failed to duly follow up on the Commission recommendations 
issued in 2019 and have not yet put in place adequate registers, controls and, where appropriate, 
sanctions to avoid over-abstractions. 

Building on the findings of its latest assessment of the national plans and on its EU-wide 
and country-specific recommendations, the Commission will step up enforcement. It will 
launch  Structured  Dialogues  with  Member  States  to  work  jointly  towards  a  reinforced 
implementation of the broader EU water acquis. The Technical Support Instrument can help 
Member States addressing water-related challenges, including those identified in the European 
Semester. 

Simplification  of  EU  water  rules  can  make  an  important  contribution  to  their 
implementation. The Commission regularly evaluates key pieces of legislation, such as the 
Nitrates Directive, currently under evaluation. Moreover, the Commission aims to simplify and 
enhance the efficiency of electronic reporting under the Water Framework Directive, based on 
an ongoing study. The revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive will also lead to 
significant  simplification.  In  the  context  of  the  implementation  of  the  extended  producer 
responsibility system referred to in Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2024/3019 on urban wastewater 
treatment, the Commission will conduct an updated study of costs and its potential impacts on 
concerned sectors. In addition, the Commission will continue to support Member States in the 
pragmatic  design  of  national  systems  with  a  view  to  avoiding  unexpected  or  unintended 
consequences, in particular for the availability and affordability of medicines53. 

Water-smart  spatial  planning  must  guide  a  sustainable  deployment  of  the  green  and 
digital transition. The Commission will enhance existing visualisation tools putting together 
environmental  data  with  data  related  to  the  water  and  energy  grids.    The  aim  is  to  inform 
Member States’ spatial planning decisions by helping them identify the best areas for setting 
up  water-intensive  business  operations  and  at  the  same  attract  investors  to  carry  out  nature 
restoration and modernisation of water supply networks to support these businesses.  

Cross-border  cooperation  must  be  further  improved.  Europe  has  75  cross-border  river 
basins. Although the Water Framework Directive explicitly requires Member States to ensure 
a  coordinated  implementation  for  international  river  basins,  there  is  room  for  a  more 
harmonised assessment of the water bodies’ status, improved consistency between measures 
taken  by  upstream  and  downstream  countries,  including  with  riparian  non-EU  partner 

52   Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation of the Water 
Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) (Third river basin management 
plans Second flood risk management plans), COM(2025) 2 final. 

53   As also requested by the European Parliament resolution of 7 May 2025 on the European Water Resilience 

Strategy (2024/2104(INI)). 

12 

 
 
 
 
countries, and increased focus on water quantity management. The Commission will support 
peer-to-peer  initiatives,  to  foster  cooperation  between  River-  and  Sea-basin  organisations, 
regions and cities, through EU programmes and initiatives such as Horizon Europe, the Urban 
Agenda for the European Union (UAEU) Thematic Partnership on ‘Water Sensitive City’ and 
Cohesion for Transitions Community of Practice54. This will secure the important involvement 
of the regional and local levels, as shown by initiatives under Interreg programs. 

Flagship actions - Governance and implementation to boost change 
Step up enforcement and launch structured dialogues with all Member 
States to accelerate and scale up implementation of the EU water acquis, 
based on key enforcement priorities stemming from the latest assessment 
of the River Basin and Flood Risk Management Plans. 
Under Cohesion for Transitions Community of Practice, organise regular 
exchanges with regions, cities and water authorities, to promote exchange 
of best practices on “sponge landscapes”, as well as transboundary water 
cooperation, identified under Interreg. 
Launch a viewer integrating environmental data with data related to the 
water and energy grids to assist Member States in their spatial planning 
efforts  to  identify  the  best  areas  for  win-win  localisation  of  water-
intensive business operations. 

Timeline 
2025-2026 

2025-2027 

2027 

3.2 

Finance, investments and infrastructure to achieve a stable supply 

Without  significant  additional  public  and  private  investments  in  all  stages  of  water 
management,  progress  towards  water  resilience  will  be  too  slow  or  lack  meaningful 
impact. The current annual capital investment for water measures (by the EU, EIB and national 
budgets) reaches around EUR 55 billion (in 2022 prices), suggesting an annual investment gap 
of  around  EUR  23  billion  per  year  (0.1%  of  EU  GDP)  to  implement  the  existing  water 
legislation55.  This  includes  investment  to  turn  rain  into  green  water  (stored  in  terrestrial 
ecosystems)  through  nature-based  solutions,  and  grey  water  (used  in  urban  settlements  or 
industrial processes) into blue water (rivers and seas) to make it fit for nature again. Investments 
must  cover  all  the  stages  of  water  management  and  be  planned  in  an  integrated  manner, 
factoring in future climate scenarios and the assessment of the resulting risks. Investment must 
also  support  new  water  technologies.  For  example,  Member  States  may  use  the  incentives 
provided for in the BlueInvest platform in blue sectors and the development of critical water-
related  technologies  that  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Strategic  Technologies  for  Europe 
Platform (STEP). At the same time, Member States need to avoid subsidies that, as a side effect, 
may harm the environment or lead to an inefficient water use. 

In  the  recent  mid-term  review  of  Cohesion  policy,  the  Commission  has  proposed  an 
exceptional package of measures to encourage Members States and regions to invest in 
water resilience. This package includes up to 100% of EU financing and 30% of prefinancing 
in water resilience investments programmed under the dedicated priority for this new specific 
objective, as well as various flexibilities.  

54   https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/cohesion-4-transition_en  
55   DG Environment, Environmental investment needs, financing and gaps in the EU-27 – update 2024 (internal 
analysis). It should be noted that this amount is largely based on water supply and sanitation needs, while costs 
for other measures related to the implementation of the WFD and the FD may not be fully reflected. 

13 

 
 
 
 
Some Member States have difficulties spending the EU funds available due to a lack of 
administrative  capacity  and  legal  or  organisational  barriers.  The  capacity  to  carry  out 
water resilience investments must be improved, specifically in less developed regions. Together 
with water governance reforms at the right level, technical assistance can help to ensure that 
available EU money is used as effectively as possible.  

Available EU funds should be deployed quickly for investments aiming to reduce leakages 
by using digital tools, smart metering, and water efficiency enhancing technologies. These 
investments  require  less  complex  planning  than  large  water  projects.  The  Commission  will 
develop  guidance  for  Member  States  for  “plug  and  play”  (pilot)  projects  in  these  areas  to 
simplify and streamline procedures.  

The next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) is an opportunity to further support 
water resilience through investment and reforms. In the context of the national and regional 
partnership agreements, Member States could address areas such as improved governance, risk 
assessment and disaster preparedness, increased water efficiency and reuse, prioritised demand 
reduction and enhanced controls. Furthermore, the Commission will encourage Member States 
to cooperate in a Green and Blue Corridors initiative to support the restoration of ecological 
settings and infrastructure including rivers, wetlands, and coasts.  

In addition, the Commission is enhancing its cooperation with the European Investment 
Bank Group (EIB) to step up public and private investments in the area of water, both in the 
EU and globally. The EIB Group, already today the largest global financier in the water sector, 
has developed a Water Programme to support the Commission's Water Resilience Strategy with 
over EUR 15 billion in planned financing during 2025-2027 for projects enhancing access to 
water,  pollution  control,  resilience  and  competitiveness  of  the  EU  water  sector,  including 
through large infrastructures and nature-based solutions. Furthermore, the Commission and the 
European  Investment  Bank  will  join  forces  to  address  bottlenecks  for  deploying  water 
investments. This will include the proposal of a new Sustainable Water Advisory Facility to 
finance  EIB  technical  assistance  in  building  the  pipeline  of  projects  as  well  as  better 
quantifying funding needs and options to facilitate water investment.  

Private  investment  will  need  to  be  significantly  stepped  up.  Cooperation  with  financial 
institutions can leverage more private financing into water resilience through blended finance 
approaches, innovative models such as Water as a Service and structured ecosystems for Green 
and Blue Bonds. Rewarding ecosystem services schemes have the potential to also support the 
creation of the necessary markets. The Commission will adopt a Roadmap for Nature Credits 
to  tap  the  potential  of  these  instruments  and  incentivise  the  scale-up  of  these  markets. 
Furthermore,  the  simplified  EU  sustainable  finance  framework  and  the  rolling  out  of  the 
Savings and Investment Union aim to increase the funding opportunities for EU businesses, 
including in the water sector.  

Climate-induced disruptions are strengthening the business case for water investments, 
and  innovative  approaches  can  help  unlock  significant  private  investment.  Water  is 
increasingly  recognised  as  a  financially  material  factor  for  businesses,  investors,  and 
governments. But there are significant obstacles to trigger private investments in water, which 
often require close cooperation among different stakeholders not least to overcome free rider 
problems.  The  Commission  will  establish  a  Water  Resilience  Investment  Accelerator  to 
implement 20 pilot innovative cases for natural water retention and water efficiency, bringing 
together local water investors, solution providers and problem holders to inspire similar actions 
across  the  EU.  This  could  also  build  on  the  networks  of  Living  Labs  established  e.g.  in 

14 

 
 
European  Partnerships  and  Missions.  In  order  to  address  the  growing  challenge  of  insuring 
economic losses caused by natural catastrophes including water-related disasters in the EU, the 
Commission  will  explore  possible  solutions  to  reduce  the  insurance  protection  gap,  by 
following  up  on  the  proposals  by  the  European  Central  Bank  and  European  Insurance  and 
Occupational Pensions Authority.56 Incentives for improved information, pricing and control 
of water used (see section 2.3) will also help to make the business case for water investments 
more  appealing,  including  in  sectors  that  are  highly  dependent  on  water  and  increasingly 
vulnerable to its scarcity, such as agriculture, aquaculture and energy. 

Flagship actions - Finance, investments and infrastructure to achieve a 
stable supply   
Launch of EIB Water Programme and Sustainable Water Advisory Facility 
in  cooperation  with  the  Commission  to  step  up  the  assistance  to  potential 
loan-takers, increasing the pipeline of projects. 
Support Member States and regions in reorienting Cohesion policy funds for 
water resilience within the mid-term review. 
Establish a Water Resilience Investment Accelerator 
Launch a Green and Blue Corridors initiative to support the restoration of 
ecological settings and infrastructure including rivers, wetlands, and coastal 
restoration to restore the water cycle with a source-to-sea approach.  
Adopt a Roadmap for Nature Credits to tap the potential of these instruments 
and incentivise the scale-up of these markets. 

Timeline 

2025  

2025 

2026-2027 
2027 

2025 

3.3  Digitalisation  and Artificial  Intelligence  to  accelerate  and  simplify  sound  water 

management   

Digitalisation  has  significant  potential  for  revolutionising  water  management  and 
promoting sustainable water use. It will bring timely insights for better policy-making and 
improved  design  and  operation  of  water  infrastructure  and  services.  Numerous  digital 
solutions,  including  Artificial  Intelligence,  are  available  in  the  market57.  Yet,  the  uptake 
remains too slow and uneven.  

To  unleash  this 
largely  untapped  potential,  and  building  on  the  upcoming 
Communications on Data Union and on Apply AI, the Commission will adopt an Action 
Plan targeted to face the specific challenges of the water sector such as analogue and aging 
systems, very large data sets scattered in many different repositories. It will include two main 
pillars: i) deployment of digital solutions through funding and knowledge-sharing to build up 
digital skills and encourage technology transfer in the water sector; and ii) support to water 
data sharing by fostering the development of national data portals to overcome fragmentation 
and make data easily findable, accessible free of charge, interoperable, and reusable, in  line 
with the requirements of the Open Data Directive58.  

56   ECB and EIOPA, Towards a European system for natural catastrophe risk management, Joint Paper, December 

2024. 

57   These  include  smart  metering  providing  real-time  data  on  water  use,  predictive  maintenance  and  leakage 
detection  systems,  digital  twins,  as  well  as  products  based  on  data  generated  by  in-situ,  drone,  or  satellite 
sensors. 

58   Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on open data and 

the re-use of public sector information. 

15 

 
 
 
 
A “one-stop shop” for Earth Observation products relevant to water management  will 
make managing water from space easily accessible to everyone. While Earth Observation 
has been used for decades to forecast droughts and floods, its daily use for water management 
is  much  less  widespread.  Copernicus  and  its  six  specialized  services  provide  an  extensive 
portfolio of water-related products available on a full, free and open basis. Yet, this information 
is scattered. The Commission will establish a “one-stop shop” for Earth Observation products 
relevant to water management – a Water Thematic Hub – in order to bring together Copernicus 
water-related data, products, and tools, and facilitate access and use of these data. It will foster 
collaboration  between  the  Earth  Observation  and  water  management  communities,  in 
partnership with the Joint Research Centre’s Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation, ensuring 
that Copernicus products respond to the needs of users and policy makers.  

Water management authorities and planning and permitting authorities, as well as the 
private sector may need assistance in assessing risks due to climate change. Digital models 
being developed by Commission such as the Digital Twin of the Ocean and Destination Earth 
will support the assessment long-term water conditions and availability under various climate 
change or human activities scenarios. Such capabilities can become available to national and 
local administrations before 2030. 

Flagship actions - Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence to accelerate 
and simplify sound water management   
Develop and implement Destination Earth and EU Digital Twin of the Ocean 
applications  for  water  resilience,  and  by  2030,  make  the  capabilities 
available to national and local administrations in the EU and beyond.  
Develop  an  EU-wide  Action  Plan  on  digitalisation  in  the  water  sector 
including an EU-wide initiative on Smart metering for all. 
Launch a Copernicus Water Thematic Hub.  

Timeline 

2025-2030 

2026 

2026 

3.4 

Research and innovation, water industry and skills to strengthen competitiveness 

Water innovation must be scaled up, based on the EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy. 
Water has been an important component of EU Framework Programmes for R&I and there is 
already  a  large  portfolio  of  innovative  ideas  and  solutions  developed  in  Europe.  However, 
actual  deployment  of  these  solutions  beyond  the  project  stage  is  still  slow.  To  address  this 
matter, the Commission will establish a science/policy interface to valorise the knowledge from 
EU and national funded R&I actions. 

The  Commission  will  launch  a  Water  Smart  Industrial  Alliance  to  support  its 
consolidation  by  stimulating  innovation,  competitiveness  and  securing  the  necessary  water 
skills. Furthermore, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal the Commission will explore how 
public procurement can promote water resilience considerations in relevant public tenders and 
a  simplified  market  access  for  SMEs  to  help  them  untap  their  innovation  potential. 
Complementing these initiatives, the Commission will also launch a European Water Academy 
to  address  capacity  needs  in  Europe’s  water  sector,  fostering  public-private  partnerships, 
innovation, and technology transfer to fill skill gaps. 

16 

 
 
 
People of all ages and across different disciplines need to develop new skills. Employment 
in  the water sector has grown in  the last years and will continue to  do so59.  However, both 
public  authorities  and  the  private  sector  are  facing  an  ageing  workforce  and  a  skills  gap, 
particularly in technical areas such as water treatment and management, as well as in relation 
to digital skills. The Union of skills package including the European Social Fund Plus can boost 
training for authorities, water management professionals, and communities. For freshwater and 
the ocean, skills in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) must be promoted60. 
To equip the EU water workforce with the right skills, the Commission, the EU water industry 
and stakeholders will work together including on the possible launch of a Large-Scale Skills 
partnership.  In  addition,  the  Commission  will  enhance  vocational  training  by  increasing  its 
support to the Platform of Vocational Excellence Water. It will also use the existing Network 
of  European  Blue  Schools  to  raise  literacy  and  awareness  to  address  freshwater  and  ocean 
protection in a source-to-sea approach.  

Despite  a  strong  knowledge  base,  gaps  remain  in  understanding  European  fresh  and 
marine waters, water resource availability, climate changes, and the water-energy-food-
ecosystems nexus. Effective use of EU research funds can help bring innovative technologies 
to market and support SMEs. Building on the cutting-edge research under EU Missions Restore 
our Oceans and Waters and Adaptation to Climate Change, the Commission will adopt, by the 
end  of  2026,  a  Water  Resilience  R&I  Strategy  addressing  the  fragmentation  of  EU  R&I 
initiatives. 

Finally, to boost Europe’s competitiveness in the water field by spurring innovation and 
closing  the  skills  and  knowledge  gaps,  we  need  to  create  more  synergies  and  connect 
industry,  education  and  research  with  a  source-to-sea  approach.  This  is  why  the 
Commission will launch, in 2026, a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in Water, 
Marine  and  Maritime  Sectors  and  Ecosystems  under  the  European  Institute  of  Technology 
(EIT). 

Flagship actions – Research and innovation, water industry and 
skills to strengthen competitiveness 
Science/policy  interface  to  disseminate  the  results  of  EU-funded  R&I 
projects e.g. through a one-stop shop platform. 
Water Resilience R&I strategy. 
Water Smart Industrial Alliance to stimulate competitiveness. 
European Water Academy. 
Knowledge  and  Innovation  Community  (KIC)  in  Water,  Marine  and 
Maritime  Sectors  and  Ecosystems  under  the  European  Institute  of 
Innovation and Technology (EIT). 

Timeline 

2026  

2026 
2026 
2026-2027 
2026 

3.5 

Security and preparedness to boost collective resilience 

Climate-driven threats and biodiversity losses, malicious attacks linked to the disruption 
of critical water infrastructure and supply, alongside accidental pollution of inland and 
marine waters have been identified as key water risks by Member States. Over the last 

59   Cedefop 

(2023).  Skills 

in 

transition: 

the  way 

to  2035.  Luxembourg:  Publications  Office. 

http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/438491  

60  A STEM Education Strategic Plan: skills for competitiveness and innovation COM(2025)89. 

17 

 
 
 
 
years, such disasters have triggered an increasing number of requests for assistance from the 
EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), both in Europe and other parts of the world. The EU 
will continue to demonstrate solidarity for transboundary cooperation, yet in order to make an 
efficient use of available funds and reduce the need for disaster relief, such solidarity must by 
complemented by principles of preparedness by design. Particularly relevant in this context are 
the RESTORE Regulation, which supports Member States to quickly mobilize funds61and the 
mid-term review of Cohesion policy. 

Citizens need local solutions that protect them and allow them to be prepared for what 
cannot be prevented, in line with the European Preparedness Union Strategy62. Such actions 
must integrate urban planning considerations to tackle pollution, whilst mitigating and adapting 
to climate change, improving drought and flood risk management, optimising the use of digital 
tools and rapid alert systems, and strengthening the links of already existing risk management 
tools  at  the  European  level  (such  as  the  early  warning  tools  of  the  Copernicus  Emergency 
Management  Service63),  national  level  and  local  level.  Citizens  and  communities  must  be 
empowered to act towards climate adaptation and protection from risks of floods and droughts. 
Making available information about the specific risks of floods and droughts for buildings and 
land is a first step towards increasing societal resilience. 

Many  tools  exist  in  the  EU  to  protect  the  population  from  water-related  disasters,  or 
mitigate the impact, yet they are not always sufficiently known or used. It is important to 
empower  citizens  to  learn  about  and  manage  the  growing  risks  of  climate-driven  water 
disasters, as called for in Union Disaster Resilience Goals developed under the UCPM64. The 
Commission will enhance EU real-time early warning and monitoring systems for floods and 
droughts  by  supporting  Member  States’  actions,  by  strengthening  the  European  Drought 
Observatory  and  the  European  Flood  Awareness  System  of  the  Copernicus  Emergency 
Management Service.  

Knowing and addressing our weaknesses will make us more resilient. As the frequency and 
the  severity  of  the  impact  of  cyberattacks  against  water  facilities  is  increasing,  appropriate 
security planning and better understanding of vulnerabilities will help the Union and economic 
operators  to  counter  hostile  actions  against  the  physical  and  cyber  integrity,  including  of 
drinking  water-supply  and  wastewater  treatment  infrastructure  and  deliberate  waterborne 
contamination. This planning will greatly benefit from the full implementation of the Critical 
Entities Resilience (CER) Directive65 and the Directive on measures for a high common level 

61   Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending 
Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction 
(RESTORE). 

62   JOIN(2025) 130 final. Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, 
the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  European 
Preparedness Union Strategy. 

63   Copernicus Emergency Management Service with its early warning systems for forest fires (European Forest 
Fire  Information  System  -  EFFIS),  floods  (European  and  Global  Flood  Awareness  Systems  -  EFAS  & 
GloFAS), and droughts (European and Global Drought Observatory - EDO & GDO), the awareness-raising 
Flood Risk Areas viewer. 

64   The first Union Disaster Resilience Goals were established under Article 6(5) of the UCPM Decision, and 
were published in February 2023. Recommendation establishing Union Disaster Resilience Goals, OJ C 56, 
15.2.2023,  p.1.  Communication  on  Union  Disaster  Resilience  Goals:  Acting  together  to  deal  with  future 
emergencies, COM(2023) 61. 

65   By 2026, Member States will adopt a strategy for enhancing the resilience of critical entities covering the 

drinking and wastewater sectors. 

18 

 
 
 
of  cybersecurity  across  the  Union  (NIS2  Directive)66.  The  upcoming  Commission 
Communication setting non-binding guidelines to support Member States in identifying their 
critical entities and reporting on the outcome of their risk assessments will apply to the drinking 
water and wastewater sectors, in line with the scope of the CER Directive. Another important 
element of strengthening the EU resilience is supporting public authorities, business and the 
public  in  preparing  for  future  climate  risks,  including  through  the  use  of  common  climate 
reference scenarios and digital tools for EU real-time early warning and monitoring systems. 

 Flagship actions - Security and preparedness to boost collective 
resilience 
Enhance  resilience  of  on-  and  offshore  water  infrastructure  through  the 
implementation of the Critical Entities Resilience Directive. 
Enhance  EU  real-time  early  warning  and  monitoring  systems  by 
strengthening the European Drought Observatory and the European Flood 
Awareness System of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. 
Adopt a European Climate Adaptation Plan. 

Timeline 

2025 

As from 2025 

2026 

4. 

ACTING GLOBALLY - LEADING BY EXAMPLE, COMMITMENT AND INITIATIVES  

Five  years  remain  until  the  end  of  the  2030  Agenda.  Progress  towards  Sustainable 
Development Goal 667 is well below the pace needed. Worldwide, 2.2 billion people still lack 
access to safe drinking water, more than half of humankind lacks access to safe sanitation, and 
many  watersheds  experience  increasing  levels  of  degradation,  threatening  ecosystem  health 
and water availability, and worsened by climate change. Wetlands are nature’s most effective 
water managers, yet,  across  the globe, they are disappearing three times faster than  forests, 
increasing the risk of desertification and floods. It is estimated that almost half of the world’s 
population will suffer water stress by 203068.  

Swift and transformative global action, including redefinition of the way we value and 
govern water for the common good is needed to avoid an accelerated water crisis. Through 
its  actions  under  the  Global  Gateway  Strategy,  the  EU  will  contribute  to  protecting  and 
restoring the global water cycle, building a water smart economy and ensuring water security 
for all, in line with the EU level objectives of this strategy and the Pact for the Future69. The 
EU  will  expand  strategic  partnerships  and  water  diplomacy  to  promote  Integrated  Water 
Resource  Management,  the  source-to-sea  approach,  the  use  of  nature-based  solutions, 
investment in sustainable water and sanitation for all, and innovation-driven policy reforms. 
As part of building a water-smart, circular and competitive economy, the EU will support global 
initiatives for promoting water efficiency and reuse in all economic sectors. In addition, the EU 
will support the finalisation and adoption of the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines70  to  ensure 
microbiologically safe use and reuse of water in food production across the globe. 

66   Directive (EU) 2022/2555 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (NIS2 

Directive), OJ L 333, 27.12. 2022, p.80.  

67   SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 
68   The 2024 UN World Water Development Report: Water for Prosperity and Peace. 
69   UNGA resolution 79/1 
70   fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-

proxy/tr/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards
%252FCXG%2B100-2023%252FCXG_100e.pdf  

19 

 
 
 
 
The  water,  peace  and  security  nexus  will  be  strengthened  through  bringing  together 
humanitarian,  development  and  peace  actors,  advocating  for  compliance  with  International 
Humanitarian Law to support the safety and security of water resources, water personnel and 
infrastructure  in  conflict  zones.  By  setting  minimum  environmental  requirements  for  EU-
funded  humanitarian  aid  operations,  the  EU  promotes  sustainability  of  water  resources  in 
contexts which are particularly affected by water shortages71.    

A stronger global water governance is essential for steady progress, strategic steer and to 
overcome  fragmentation. The  UN  2023  Water  Conference  put water  firmly  on  the  global 
political  landscape  with  the  ambitious  Water  Action  Agenda72,  followed  by  the  UNEA-6 
resolution on water73, the System-wide strategy for water and sanitation74 and the appointment 
of the UN Special Envoy on Water. The EU will work towards an ambitious and action-oriented 
outcome of the upcoming UN Water Conferences, including a regular UN inter-governmental 
process  on  water,  mainstreaming  of  water  in  multilateral  processes  and  engagement  in  key 
coalitions. The EU will also engage partner countries on water governance, including through 
building its network of EU member state Water Envoys. 

The EU will support the extension of the UN Water Convention75 as a means to promote 
sustainable  management  of  shared  water  resources,  conflict  prevention,  peacebuilding, 
security,  and  economic  development.  Through  Global  Gateway76,  Team  Europe  (the 
Commission, the EIB and Member States’ Development Finance Institutions) is making over 
EUR 1.2 billion available for supporting governance, knowledge, and investments in 18 major 
cross-border  water  basins  across  47  countries  in  Africa  and  Central  Asia.  This  includes 
initiatives like the International Fund for the Aral Sea and the Blue Africa programme. 

The  EU  will  strengthen  country  and  regional  partnerships  on  water. This  includes  the 
Union  for  the  Mediterranean  Water  Agenda  2030  and  the  upcoming  New  Pact  for  the 
Mediterranean, to address increasing water scarcity and climate impacts in the region. The EU 
will support candidate and neighbourhood countries, including through the Western Balkans 
and Eastern Neighbourhood Investment Framework and the Ukraine Facility. In this context, 
the  EU  strategic  approach  to  the  Black  Sea77  is  of  particular  importance,  to  support  local 
communities  against inter alia war-related  environmental  damage. The EU will propose the 
introduction of the relevant water legislation in the acquis covered by the Energy Community 
Treaty78. The EU and Central Asia will enhance their cooperation through the recently agreed 
strategic partnership, with a EUR 12 billion Global Gateway investment package to focus on 
four key priorities, including climate, water and energy. The EU cutting-edge water industry is 
key  to  support  partner  countries,  develop  water-efficient  technologies,  finance  sustainable 

71   https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/humanitarian-aid/climate-change-and-

environment_en  

72   https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/action-agenda, 

with 

33 

EU 

commitments 

https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7443-2023-INIT/en/pdf. 

73   https://docs.un.org/en/UNEP/EA.6/RES.13. 
74   UN_System-wide_Strategy_for_Water_and_Sanitation_July2024_vs23July2024.pdf. 
75   The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. 
76   European strategy to tackle the most pressing global challenges and to mobilise up to EUR 300 billion of 
sustainable  and  high-quality  projects  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-

investments 
policy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world/global-gateway_en. 

for 

77   JOIN(2025) 135/3, Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council - The European Union's 

strategic approach to the Black Sea region.   

78   Treaty establishing Energy Community - Energy Community Homepage 

20 

 
 
 
infrastructure  and  drive  innovation.  The  EU  will  support  policy  incentives,  financing 
mechanisms and water SMEs to seize relevant market opportunities. 

The EU remains committed to help closing the considerable gap in international water 
financing.  Through  Global  Gateway,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  remain  the  biggest 
contributor  to  official  development  aid,  including  on  water  infrastructure  and  Nature-based 
Solutions, strengthened by mobilising private sector engagement via the European Fund for 
Sustainable Development (EFSD+). The EIB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development, together with other multilateral development banks, have committed to greater 
levels  of  financing  for  water  security  and  will  reinforce  their  cooperation79.  The  EU  will 
continue  supporting  investments  mainly  through  blending  mechanisms  and  guarantees  and 
improving the investment climate by facilitating legal reforms and promoting high social and 
environmental standards. This includes initiatives like Climate Investor 2, a blended finance 
facility mobilising up to EUR 2.2 billion for water, sanitation, and ocean infrastructure projects, 
as  well  as  strategic  procurement  and  support  to  environmental,  social  and  governance 
frameworks. Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships could also play a role. 

Flagship actions – Acting globally – leading by example, 
commitment and initiatives 
Promote water resilience through the Global Gateway by support 
for  priority  water-related  initiatives  and  reinforced  country  and 
regional engagement. 

Timeline  

As from 2025 

5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  Commission  calls  on  Member  States,  institutional  partners,  businesses  and  all  parts  of 
society to take action along the lines indicated in this Strategy.  

As from December 2025, the Commission will convene, every two years, a Water Resilience 
Forum, bringing together in an inclusive dialogue of EU stakeholders and interested parties to 
take  stock  of  progress  made  in  enhancing  water  resilience  across  all  levels  of  government, 
business and civil society, and monitoring implementation of this Strategy. 

In  2027,  the  Commission  will  carry  out  a  mid-term  review  of  the  progress  made  in 
implementing the actions included in this Strategy. It will also make a first evaluation of the 
uptake of the Recommendation on Water Efficiency First. In this context, some of the actions 
may be updated or revised.  

In  2029,  the  Commission  will  evaluate  the  progress  made,  including  a  full  evaluation  of 
national  actions  taken  in  line  with  the  Recommendation  on  Water  Efficiency  First.  The 
Commission will also identify possible further actions needed to address emerging concerns 
and  accordingly  review,  as  appropriate,  the  identified  targets  and  actions,  with  a  view  to 
achieving water resilience across all sectors of society. 

79   https://www.eib.org/files/press/CommitmenttoWaterSecuritywithlogos.pdf  

21 

 
 
 
 
ANNEX I – FULL LIST OF ACTIONS 

ACTIONS 

RESTORING AND PROTECTING THE WATER CYCLE 

Establish,  including  through  Structured  Dialogues  with  Member 
States, implementation priorities of the Water Framework and the 
Floods Directives, focusing on water quality and quantity.  
Revise the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. 
Develop  water  scarcity  indicators  and  a  Technical  Guidance  on 
Drought Management Plans. 
To address main sources of pollution: 

•  Public-private 

initiative 

technological 
breakthrough  in  feasible  and  affordable  methods  for  the 
detection  and  remediation  of  PFAS  and  other  persistent 
chemicals, if the right partners are found. 

to  achieve  a 

•  Launch  an  Assistance  Toolbox  for  Member  States  to 
support  actions  to  reduce  nutrients  pollution,  including 
interactive  maps  and 
through  enhanced  modelling, 
exchanges of best practices. 

Timeline 

2025-2026 

2027 
2026-2027 

2027 

2026-2027 

BUILDING A WATER-SMART ECONOMY THAT LEAVES NO ONE BEHIND, SUPPORTS EU 
COMPETITIVENESS AND ATTRACTS INVESTORS 

Recommendation  on  the  Water  Efficiency  First  principle, 
guidelines  and  EEA  report  on  the  untapped  water  efficiency 
potential. 
Support  the  uptake  of  water  reuse  practices  also  beyond 
agriculture and review the Water Reuse Regulation. 
Public water supply:  
•  Support 

infrastructure 

and 
modernisation and deep data assessment. 

reduction 

leakage 

Agriculture:  

•  Maximise  the  use  of  CAP  Strategic  Plans  for  water 
resilience  through  knowledge  sharing  and  innovative 
solutions promoted by the EU CAP network, the European 
Innovation  Partnership  (EIP-AGRI),  as  well  as  improved 
and independent farm advisory services. 
In  the  next  programming  period,  continue  to  incentivise 
farmers  to 
improve  the  environmental  and  climate 
performance  of  their  holdings,  including  towards  better 
water management. 

• 

2025-2026 

2026-2028 

2025-2028 

2025-2026 

Industry and Energy:  

2025-2026 

•  Launch  a  pilot  project  to  promote  water  efficiency, 
including waterless and closed water cycle technologies, in 
selected industrial clusters. 
Include  water  usage  among  the  parameters  of  a  common 
Union scheme to rate the sustainability of data centres and 
propose  water  consumption  minimum  performance 
standards. 

• 

•  Public-private  initiative  to  achieve  a  technological 
breakthrough in feasible and affordable methods for 
dry cooling, if the right partners are found. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Promote  an  exchange  of  best  practices  on  freshwater  balances, 
accounting of water flows, water efficiency, and smart water metering 
across all economic sectors 
Assess the quality of the data available on water and, where appropriate, 
submit a legislative proposal for the introduction of new environmental 
economic account modules for water accounts.  

As from 2025 

By the end of 
2026 

SECURING CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE WATER FOR ALL, EMPOWERING CONSUMERS AND 
OTHER USERS 

Address the water footprint of products when setting or updating 
requirements under the ESPR and the EU Ecolabel. 
Promote best practices on public awareness and the role of water 
pricing to promote water efficiency, cost recovery and the polluter 
pays principle, and related national water governance. 
Boost efforts towards water resilience across the built environment 
through  the  upcoming  work  programme  2026-2027  of  the  New 
European  Bauhaus  Facility  and  in  the  upcoming  Affordable 
Housing Plan. 

GOVERNANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION TO BOOST CHANGE 

Step  up  enforcement  and  launch  structured  dialogues  with  all 
Member States to accelerate and scale up implementation of the EU 
water acquis, based on key enforcement priorities stemming from 
the  latest  assessment  of  the  River  Basin  and  Flood  Risk 
Management Plans. 
Under Cohesion for Transitions Community of Practice, organize 
a  regular  exchange  with  regions,  cities  and  water  authorities,  to 
promote  exchange  of  best  practices  on  “sponge  landscapes”  and 
transboundary water cooperation identified under Interreg. 
Launch  a  viewer  integrating  environmental  data  with  data 
related to the water and energy grids to assist Member States 
in their spatial planning efforts to identify the best areas for 
win-win localisation of water-intensive business operations. 
Create a Water Resilience Forum.  

2025-2027 

2026-2027 

2026 

2025-2026 

2025-2027 

2027 

As from 2026 

FINANCE, INVESTMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACHIEVE A STABLE SUPPLY 

Launch of EIB Water Programme and Sustainable Water Advisory 
Facility  in  cooperation  with  the  Commission  to  step  up  the 
assistance  to  potential  loan-takers,  increasing  the  pipeline  of 
projects. 
Support Member States and regions in reorienting Cohesion policy 
funds for water resilience within the mid-term review. 
 Establish a Water Resilience Investment Accelerator. 
Launch  a  Green  and  Blue  Corridors  initiative  to  support  the 
restoration  of  ecological  settings  and  infrastructure  including 
rivers, wetlands, and coastal restoration to restore the water cycle 
with a source-to-sea approach.  
Adopt a Roadmap for Nature Credits to tap the potential of these 
instruments and incentivise the scale-up of these markets. 
Use  the  Technical  Support  Instrument  to  help  Member  States 
addressing water-related challenges, particularly those identified in the 
European Semester. 

2025 

2025 

2026-2027 

2027 

2025 

As from 2025 

23 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
DIGITALISATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ACCELERATE AND SIMPLIFY 
SOUND WATER MANAGEMENT   

Develop and implement Destination Earth and EU Digital Twin of 
the Ocean applications for water resilience, and by 2030, make the 
capabilities  available to  national  and local  administrations in  the 
EU and beyond. 
Develop  an  EU-wide  Action  Plan  on  digitalisation  in  the  water 
sector including an EU-wide initiative on Smart metering for all. 
Launch a Copernicus Water Thematic Hub.  

2026 
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, WATER INDUSTRY AND SKILLS TO STRENGTHEN 
COMPETITIVENESS 

2025-2030 

2026 

Science/policy  interface  to  disseminate  the  results  of  EU-funded 
R&I projects e.g. through a one-stop shop platform. 

  Water Resilience R&I strategy. 
  Water Smart Industrial Alliance to stimulate competitiveness. 

European Water Academy. 
Knowledge  and  Innovation  Community  (KIC)  in  Water,  Marine 
and  Maritime  Sectors  and  Ecosystems  under  the  European 
Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). 
Promote  further  research  and  innovation  to  promote  sustainable 
desalination. 

  Water Tech challenge, in cooperation with the EIC. 

2026 

2026 
2026 
2026-2027 

2026 

2026 

tbd 

SECURITY AND PREPAREDNESS TO BOOST COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE 

2025 

As from 2025 

2026 

As from 2022 

Enhance  resilience  of  on-  and  offshore  water  infrastructure 
through  the  implementation  of  the  Critical  Entities  Resilience 
Directive. 
Enhance  EU  real-time  early  warning  and  monitoring  systems  by 
strengthening  the  European  Drought  Observatory  and  the 
European Flood Awareness System of the Copernicus Emergency 
Management Service. 
Adopt a European Climate Adaptation Plan. 
Strengthen  the  prevention  of  water-borne  infectious  diseases  through 
the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on Serious Cross-
border Threats to Health. 
ACTING GLOBALLY – LEADING BY EXAMPLE, COMMITMENT AND INITIATIVES 
Promote water resilience through the Global Gateway by support 
for  priority  water-related  initiatives  and  reinforced  country  and 
regional engagement.  
Strengthen  global  water  governance  by  engaging  in  discussions  on  a 
future global water governance framework. 
Foster cross-border water cooperation through supporting accession to 
the UN Water Convention. 
Support  the  access  to  an  improved  drinking  water  source  and/or 
sanitation  facility  for  at  least  70  million  individuals,  unlock  larger 
investments and boost competitiveness of the EU water industry. 
Significantly  scale  up  investment  in  nature-based  solutions  in 
infrastructures or in conjunction with infrastructures. 
Mainstream  water  in  international  processes,  including  the  three  Rio 
Conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification. 

As from 2025 

As from 2025 

As from 2025 

ongoing 

As from 2026 

As from 2025 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enhance  implementation  of  water-related  goals  and  targets80  of  the 
Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 

Enhance EU engagement in the Ramsar Convention. 

Strengthen engagement in inter-alia G7, G20, the Transboundary Water 
Cooperation Coalition, the Freshwater Challenge and the Baku Water 
Dialogue. 
Assess the investment needs for each candidate country to comply with 
the water acquis. 
Step  up  engagement  in  the  Union  for  Mediterranean  and  the  Blue 
Mediterranean Partnership. 

ongoing 

As from 2025  

As from 2025   

As from 2026  

As from 2025  

80   https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets  

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX II - THE KEY 2027-2033 INTERMEDIATE TARGETS 

Restoring and protecting the water cycle 

By 2030, restoration measures will be put in place on at least 30% of the EU’s coastal and 
freshwater habitats that are not in good condition (Nature Restoration Regulation). 

By 2030, at least 30% of species and habitats not currently in favourable status are in that 
category or show a strong positive trend (EU biodiversity strategy for 2030). 

By 2030, at least 25 000 km of rivers in the EU will have to be restored into free-flowing 
rivers (EU biodiversity strategy for 2030). 

By 2027, Member States shall protect, enhance and restore all bodies of surface water and 
groundwater with the aim of achieving good status (Water Framework Directive). 

Building a water-smart economy that leaves no one behind, supports EU competitiveness 
and attracts investors 

By 2030, the most water-intensive sectors will have adopted and enhanced water-efficient practices, 
including the following sectors, based on existing EU legislation: 

•  Energy: national building renovation plans, due by 2026, will start being deployed in each 
Member  State  to  achieve  the  progressive  renovation  of  existing  buildings  into  highly 
energy-efficient  and  decarbonised  buildings  by  2050,  including  through  approaches  and 
programmes addressing water treatment (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive). 
Industry:  water use will start being tangibly reduced across the EU’s largest industrial and 
livestock farming production processes (Industrial Emissions Directive). 

• 

In addition, with respect to agriculture, by 2027 the CAP Strategic Plans have provided support for 
practices (beyond mandatory requirements) to improve soil health (and thus improve water retention 
and limit erosion) on 47% of the EU’s agricultural area. Support for practices for the sustainable 
use of pesticides and improved nutrient management will cover 27% and 15% of EU’s agricultural 
area respectively (CAP support and CAP Strategic Plans). 

By 2030, Member States with water supply leakage levels exceeding the EU-wide threshold – to be 
set  by  2028  –  will  present  an  action  plan  with  measures  to  reduce  leakages  across  their  supply 
networks (Drinking Water Directive). 

By  2030,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  will  promote  the  reuse  of  treated  urban 
wastewater  for  all  appropriate  purposes  beyond  agriculture  and  assess  the  feasibility  and 
appropriateness  of  setting  an  EU  target  for  water  reuse  across  economic  sectors  (Water  Reuse 
Regulation). 

Securing clean and affordable water for all, empowering consumers and other users 

By 2027, Member States will set up transparent drinking water and wastewater bills, to increase 
consumers’  awareness  of  their  consumption  and  the  real  price  of  water,  as  well  as  surveillance 
systems  for  monitoring  public  health  parameters  in  urban  wastewater  in  case  of  emergencies 
(Drinking Water Directive, Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive).  

By 2029, Member States will inform the Commission about measures taken to improve access to 
drinking water and sanitation for all, including vulnerable and marginalised groups, and will start 
updating  the  Commission  every  six  years  on  the  matter  (Drinking  Water  Directive  and  Urban 
Wastewater Treatment Directive).  

By 2030, the EU will support the access of 70 million individuals to an improved drinking 
water source and/or sanitation facility (EU commitment to the Water Action Agenda).  

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By  2033,  all  EU  cities  above  100  000  inhabitants  will  set  up  integrated  urban  wastewater 
management  plans  prioritising  nature-based  solutions  and  green/blue  infrastructures  (Urban 
Wastewater Treatment Directive). 

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