On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on promoting transnational governance on water in the interests of conflict prevention and peace

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DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDATION

to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on promoting transnational governance on water in the interests of conflict prevention and peace

(2025/2216(INI))

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) of 1992,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 May 2025 on the European Water Resilience Strategy,

– having regard to the fact sheet of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights entitled ‘The Right to Water’, published in August 2010,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 19 November 2018 on water diplomacy,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 19 November 2021 on water in the EU’s external action,

– having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to its resolution of 2 April 2025 on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2024,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A100000/2025),

A. whereas water is essential for the survival of humanity and all life on Earth and therefore needs to be managed sustainably and fairly;

B. whereas access to water is a human right and a prerequisite for stability and peace;

C. whereas climate change represents a major threat to water resources and aquatic ecosystems, and exacerbates water stress;

D. whereas hydrological cycles are becoming increasingly erratic and are characterised by violent swings between severe drought and devastating floods, driven by climate change; whereas all glaciated regions in the world have reported ice loss in recent years; whereas human activities are responsible for a significant amount of the pollution of fresh water resources worldwide;

E. whereas transboundary aquifers, lakes and river basins shared by two or more countries make up 60 % of the world’s freshwater flows;

F. whereas most countries have no transboundary arrangements over shared water bodies;

G. whereas water stress and unilateral actions by countries in transboundary waters, such as pollution or overexploitation, or the construction of infrastructure has implications for all states bordering those waters; whereas disputes over access to water feed into and may fuel wider conflicts, with severe consequences for regional stability and human security;

H. whereas even though historically water has functioned as a catalyst for cooperation, over the last 10 years conflict over water has exceeded cooperation;

I. whereas upstream users of water systems have some relative advantages over the downstream users;

J. whereas armed conflict and occupation significantly disrupt water accessibility and transnational water cooperation;

1. Recommends that the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

(a) increase the role of transboundary water governance plays in EU external action, so it acts as a meaningful tool for conflict prevention, resolution and trust-building at regional, national and international levels, especially in areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and where water is already scarce;

(b) address the lack of operational agreements between governments sharing transboundary water basins and make all necessary EU expertise and technical and financial assistance available to support governments in establishing and implementing such arrangements as well as river basin organisations;

(c) strengthen the role transnational water governance plays in EU external action and diplomacy and to this end provide the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU Delegations around the world with the appropriate financial and human resources to initiate and accompany transboundary water management and diplomacy activities on the ground within and between partner countries;

(d) ensure increased and steady funding for EU transboundary water management in EU external action under the next multiannual financial framework;

(e) expand the geographic scope of EU transboundary water governance projects beyond Africa and Central Asia to the Americas, the Middle East and North Africa, and East and South Asia through a Team Europe approach;

(f) strengthen multilateral cooperation on water, notably within the UN by continuing and stepping up the globalisation of the UN Water Convention and supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG6 on clean water and sanitation;

(g) invest in a more transparent overview of all ongoing EU support dedicated to the promotion of transboundary water management internationally and ensure the coherence and streamlining of all work and funding across all relevant Directorates-General and between the EEAS and the Commission;

(h) work wherever possible to ensure clean and high-quality water, promote sustainable water management and implement various innovative water technologies, including nature-based solutions;

(i) ensure that EU water initiatives worldwide address the persisting data gaps and lack of data sharing between governments by means of equipping partner countries with technical and physical resources to monitor water levels and the quality of transboundary basins effectively, and by exchanging data and fostering common standards for data collection between partner countries in order to increase compatibility;

(j) promote intergovernmental and regional cooperation instruments in the management of water resources, focusing in particular on ensuring the fair distribution of water between countries and business sectors, and support local and community level governance structures so as to promote inclusive decision making and water management;

(k) strengthen EU monitoring and early warning capacities through digitalisation and modern technologies; strengthen the monitoring of water scarcity and water-related conflict risks worldwide, such as the weaponisation of water and water infrastructure and deliberate deprivation of water access, making it a part of the conflict-prevention systems of the EEAS Crisis Response Centre;

(l) incentivise and finance research on sustainable transboundary water management, water sharing, cooperation and innovation, including through Horizon Europe;

(m) appoint a high-ranking EU official as EU Special Representative tasked with preventing and resolving water-related conflicts, promoting water cooperation, and protecting water sources and systems, including during armed conflicts and in transboundary settings;

(n) strengthen the role of international law and international courts in the dispute resolution of conflicts around transnational water bodies to ensure clarity and accountability for legal obligations of all states bordering the transnational waters concerned;

2. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Water is essential for life. Access to safe water is a human right and a prerequisite for stability and peace.

However, water scarcity is rising. Industrial overuse, overpopulation, and pollution are causing water stress globally, while the effects of human-made climate change further exacerbate the phenomenon. More than half of the world’s freshwater flows across borders, and over 150 countries share transboundary river basins. Many of these basins are in regions marked by instability, climate stress and weak institutions. There is often unequal access to water resources, shared between countries or within, due to poor management and inadequate policies. This is increasingly recognized as a driver of fragility, migration, displacement, and a growing source of tension, instability and conflict, within and between states. While this report seeks to highlight constructive ways in which the EU can prevent conflict through transnational water governance, it needs to be noted that in various armed conflicts globally actors restrain access to water to cause humanitarian crises and destroy water infrastructure for tactical military reasons.

Existing EU external instruments are already active on the topic, including NDICI - Global Europe, Global Gateway and the EU’s Water Diplomacy initiatives. While welcome and useful, they are not sufficient on it their own: they have to be updated, better funded and better coordinated to facilitate effective regional cooperation, strengthen water-management institutions and mobilize sustainable investment; the Unions external instruments should also be used more actively in partnership with EU-Member States and their financial and administrative tools and capacity.

Furthermore, there is urgent need to enhance the EU’s and EEAS external engagement in the field of transboundary water cooperation through political dialogue, mediation, diplomatic outreach, technical assistance and capacity-building, data sharing, basin management, promoting transparent decision-making and governance backed by credible institutions and legal frameworks with particular attention given to local actors, promoting inclusive governance that considers the needs of vulnerable communities and minorities.

Strengthening transnational water governance is a long-term investment in stability, conflict prevention and sustainable development. In this context the Union’s external action should increasingly recognize and promote the strategic relevance of transnational water governance as a key instrument for long-term conflict prevention, regional stability, social equality and human security as well as for sustainable development. The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) should ensure that transnational water governance is recognized as a diplomatic and security priority within the EU’s foreign policy - in the neighbourhoods and enlargement regions as Balkans, MENA and Sahel, as well as across the Union’s global engagement.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.