By Abbas Nazil
The European Commission has launched a sweeping Water Resilience Strategy aimed at addressing Europe’s escalating water crisis through a coordinated and holistic approach.
With droughts and floods becoming increasingly common across the continent, the strategy repositions water policy as central to Europe’s security, economic stability, and climate adaptation efforts.
The new plan, championed by Commissioner Roswall, prioritizes water efficiency, investment, and strict enforcement of existing EU laws over the creation of new legislation.
In a press conference, Commissioner Roswall emphasized the urgency of the initiative, stating that 30 percent of EU land experiences water scarcity annually.
“Water is under huge stress,” she said, “and this is why this important water resilience strategy the European Commission has put forward is so necessary—because we need to act now.”
Rather than drafting new legal instruments, the strategy aims to fully implement and reinforce existing directives, particularly the Water Framework Directive, while supporting Member States in closing compliance gaps.
The strategy rests on three key thematic pillars: protecting and restoring the water cycle and water supply, enhancing water efficiency across all sectors, and empowering citizens to contribute to water resilience.
At its core is the principle of “water efficiency first,” modeled after the EU’s “energy efficiency first” approach.
The Commission has set a preliminary target to improve water use efficiency by at least 10 percent by 2030.
This will involve collaboration with Member States to create a joint methodology that considers geographical and sectoral differences.
To meet this goal, the strategy advocates for nature-based solutions such as sponge cities that absorb rainfall and recharge groundwater.
It also promotes improved efficiency in water use across agriculture, industry, and public infrastructure, with strong backing for digital innovations like AI-driven water management, satellite monitoring via Copernicus, and advanced leak detection technologies.
Water reuse and, in climate-stressed regions, desalination are also encouraged as part of a diversified response toolkit.
One of the major components of the strategy is investment. The Commission estimates that €78 billion annually is required to modernize Europe’s water infrastructure, with €23 billion of that currently lacking.
To bridge this gap, the EU is launching a Water Investment Accelerator to attract both public and private funding.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is expected to play a crucial role by supporting both major infrastructure and smaller-scale, decentralized projects that increase system resilience.
Chemical contamination, particularly from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is also addressed.
The strategy outlines a two-fold response: regulatory efforts to ban PFAS in consumer products and financial support for the cleanup of existing pollution.
Broader efforts to simplify environmental regulations are underway through the development of an environmental simplification omnibus.
This initiative aims to reduce bureaucratic burdens without compromising environmental integrity and may include revisions to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Though the strategy does not introduce binding legal targets, it establishes a clear framework for monitoring progress and ensuring accountability.
By shifting the narrative from water as a crisis driver to water as a strategic asset, the Commission aims to lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and competitiveness.
The strategy marks a turning point in EU water policy, reflecting a recognition that resilient water systems are essential not only for environmental protection but also for public health, economic growth, and social stability.