European Economic
and Social Committee
EESC PLENARY: Water must be seen as a strategic resource for Europe, EESC urges
On 18 June, ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a plenary debate on water resilience and global water action with EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall. The EESC has called for water to be viewed as a strategic resource for Europe’s economy, security and global role.
The debate comes as water stress increases across Europe, putting pressure on supply chains, infrastructure and industrial production. In response to this, the Committee is calling for a shift in how water is framed in EU policy, from a mainly environmental concern to a strategic resource for competitiveness and resilience.
Taking part in the debate were also Hildegard Bentele, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-chair of the Committee on Development and Chair of the MEP Water Group, and Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.
EESC President Séamus Boland underlined the urgency of this agenda: The Committee has delivered multiple opinions to help develop a comprehensive EU water policy. Without water, there is no life, no economy and no other policy to defend. This is why we call for a water test in EU legislation and for water to be made a strategic priority in the next multiannual financial framework,
the EU's long-term budget.
Members of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group participated in the debate:
Alain Coheur reiterated the fundamental idea that civil society must be at the heart of European global action for water.
Ina Agafonova called for a Blue Deal Accelerator to help make wetland restoration easier to finance
, as wetlands are the natural sponges that store and purify our water
.
Stoyan Tchoukanov pointed out that farmers must be supported in leading the transition toward a sustainable and resilient agri-food system with sustainable water management.