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DRAFT REPORT (2024/2104(INI))

On the European Water Resilience Strategy

ENVI-PR-766919

Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Thomas Bajada

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Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This draft report outlines Parliament's position on the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy, calling for binding water efficiency targets, stronger pollution rules, climate adaptation, dedicated funding, digitalisation, and cross-border cooperation. It urges full implementation of existing EU water law, EU-wide PFAS standards, natural water reserves, and a dedicated EU fund for water resilience.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes a resolution that welcomes the strategy and sets out Parliament's demands for a comprehensive, binding framework covering water efficiency, pollution, climate adaptation, funding, digitalisation, and cross-border cooperation.

Key points

  1. Welcomes the announced European Water Resilience Strategy and calls for integrating water sustainability into all EU policies.
  2. Calls for binding sectoral water efficiency and abstraction targets at basin level, covering industry, agriculture and households.
  3. Urges acceleration of implementation and enforcement of existing water legislation, including the Water Framework Directive and its daughter directives.
  4. Calls for EU-wide quality standards for PFAS totals in groundwater and surface water, and for addressing pollution from pharmaceuticals and bisphenols.
  5. Calls for increased monitoring of pesticide residues and stricter enforcement of pesticide regulations.
  6. Calls for climate adaptation proofing of all new EU acts and for natural water reserves based on climate risk assessments.
  7. Prioritises nature-based solutions for water resilience.
  8. Calls for a separate, dedicated EU fund for water resilience within the next multiannual financial framework.
  9. Calls on Member States to implement water pricing policies and fully apply the cost recovery principle.
  10. Calls for mainstreaming digitalisation and using management and metering data for evidence-based water management.
  11. Calls for enhanced cross-border and international cooperation, including at river basin level, and for EU leadership in protecting water ecosystems.

Who is affected

  • EU institutions, especially the Commission, are called on to propose legislation and funding.
  • Member States and regional authorities must implement water pricing and create natural water reserves.
  • Agriculture and industry face binding water efficiency targets and stricter pollution rules.
  • EU citizens are guaranteed access to affordable, good quality water services.

Figures and deadlines

  • 20 % of Europe's territory and 30 % of the population affected by water stress annually.
  • Only 37 % of surface water bodies achieved good or high ecological status in 2021; 29 % good chemical status.
  • Industry accounts for approximately 40 % of total water abstraction in Europe.
  • Groundwater supplies 65 % of drinking water and 25 % of agricultural irrigation water in the EU.
  • 60 % of European river basin districts are transnational.
  • Target to restore at least 25 000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030.

Legal basis: Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union