EESC European Consumer Day: EU should stay committed to the Blue Deal

European Consumer Day 2024 stressed the need for sustainable water management, improved infrastructure and consumer education to make sure that Europeans can afford to buy water

With the price of water expected to rise by 25% by 2030, the EU will have to invest more than EUR 250 billion to meet Europe’s water needs and build a society in which everyone has access to clean, affordable water.

Water is becoming a scarce resource, even in Europe: as many as 30% of Europeans face water stress at least once a year. This means that consumers, who on average still see water as an expendable commodity, will have to change their behaviour to use it more efficiently, both by becoming more aware of their water footprint and by using smart water-saving technologies.

However, the major polluters should also pay the price and not leave consumers to shoulder their hidden expenses, it was revealed at the European Consumer Day held by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 9 December.

With 15 000 litres of water used to produce just one kilo of meat and 8 000 litres for one pair of jeans, big water spenders (such as manufacturing and especially agriculture, which accounts for 72% of all water withdrawals) will also have to bear the cost of their environmental impact and invest in better production facilities.

This year, European Consumer Day focused on Water challenges: Exploring consumer perspectives - Moving ahead with the EU Blue Deal.

The annual event brought together members of the EESC and European Parliament, and representatives of European Commission, top water companies and civil society organisations working on water. It addressed the pressing issues of growing water scarcity and pollution. 

‘We are celebrating an important milestone: the 25th anniversary of European Consumer Day. Water challenges are an issue that was initially seen as a regional problem, but now we see that it is becoming a global challenge,’ said Bernardo Hernández Bataller, co-spokesperson for the EESC Consumers and Environment Category in his opening remarks.

‘Water is the most important topic we have to deal with in the coming years, especially from the consumer perspective,’ said Milena Angelova, rapporteur for the EESC opinion on Water efficient consumption and consumer awareness of their water footprint.

THE EU BLUE DEAL: A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

Ms Angelova underlined the importance of the EU Blue Deal as a key initiative of the EESC, a ‘pioneering EU institution’ when it comes to water issues. ‘Water should be seen as a fundamental part of the European Commission’s forthcoming flagship policy initiatives. We would like to see the new Water Coalition launched to help implement the European Blue Deal, and we are currently working on the creation of the European Blue Deal Stakeholder Platform.’

The EESC has been at the forefront of calls to make the EU Blue Deal, a comprehensive set of recommendations for a sustainable water policy for Europe, a standalone strategic priority. One of the goals is to ensure that access to affordable and clean water remains a fundamental right for every European.

Hildegard Bentele, the European Parliament’s shadow rapporteur on the Water Framework Directive, highlighted the growing importance of water protection, management and efficiency. This is clear from the fact that these issues are included in reform and investment programmes under the Recovery and Resilience Fund in as many as 15 Member States. 

‘After all, Europe has a thriving water industry. Solutions for managing water invented in Europe are leading globally. I would be glad if we all together—citizens, governments, agencies, scientists, industry, and lawmakers—seized this unique opportunity and took a comprehensive leap forward to make one of our most valuable resources, water—in the ground, in the sea, and in the sky—future-proof’ said Ms Bentele.

Worldwide, some 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water. In Europe, 10 million people are in this situation. If no action is taken, water poverty will affect even larger proportions of societies around the world, with far-reaching consequences for economic, social and political stability. The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that water conservation ranks among the top priorities of European citizens but 61% said they lacked information and practical tools to make significant changes.

In September 2024, the European Commission registered a new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe, which will soon be launched for signatures across the EU.

However, in his keynote speech, Gaetano Casale, Director of the Liaison Office of the IHE DELFT Institute for Water Education, said that water is still undervalued in Europe.

‘What is the behaviour of a typical European consumer? I would argue that a typical approach is to see water more as a commodity, a service that is provided at a relatively low price’, argued Mr Casale. That is why a sustainable approach to water, which is now an absolute must in Europe, requires raising awareness about the challenges by educating people on the environmental costs, the challenges of a growing world population and climate change. ‘We really need to start thinking about water. We need to educate people about it at all levels, from school to university.’

THE POLLUTER-PAYS PRINCIPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

However, raising the price of water for the end consumer is never a solution, said Luis Silveira Rodriguez, President of the Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (DECO). He stressed that governments must prioritise reducing water losses and investing in infrastructure.

For example, in Portugal, 30% of the total water stored and distributed is either not billed or lost due to unauthorised use. 184 billion cubic metres of water are lost due to pipeline degradation, costing nearly EUR 90 million a year.

Francesco Mascolo, Vice-President of Aqua Publica Europea, said that it was important to distinguish between 'consumers' and 'water users' who do not have a choice of water suppliers or quality of the water provided. This is why we need to fight for them to have access to water at affordable prices. This means that water tariffs should be kept at the lowest possible level.

Social tariffs and water subsidies are critical to ensuring equitable access. Italy’s ‘social water bond’ initiative, which guarantees 50 litres of water per person per day for economically disadvantaged families, is a model for addressing this issue.

Still, water is underpriced across all sectors of society, said Pär Dalhielm, President of the European Federation of National Associations of Water Services (EurEau). He highlighted the economic – and therefore resource-intensive – dimension of 24/7 access to water, without which Europe’s business competitiveness would suffer. ‘The problem is that consumers pay the price, not the polluters. This is why we need to find different kinds of models which will put the right price on water as a resource,’ Mr Dalhielm maintained.

‘As a society we need to acknowledge the true value of water’, said Hans Goossens, President of Water Europe. "We have to build a water-smart and water-resilient Europe. At Water Europe, we conducted a socio-economic study to assess the value of the EU's investment in water, which revealed a need for €255 billion over the next 20 to 30 years to meet the EU's water demands."

Mr Gossens gave the example of water efficiency gains in Flanders, made possible by their decree on rainwater. Adopted over 20 years ago, it required homes to install rainwater collectors and gradually mandated both minimum and maximum rainwater usage to reduce flooding risks and tap water reliance. This significantly reduced tap water consumption to less than 80 litres per capita per day, with projections suggesting further reductions to 50 liters.

CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT

Els Bruggeman of Euroconsumers and Markus Weidling of the European Association for Energy and Water Data Management (EVVE) agreed that the way forward for consumer empowerment is to provide the technology to calculate water consumption and measure how it is used in the household.

‘To measure is to know. But to reduce your water footprint, you must first know how much water you actually use as an individual consumer,’ said Ms Brugemman.

To bridge this gap, national organisations in Spain and Portugal have developed user-friendly calculators that estimate individual water usage and provide actionable advice on reducing consumption. These tools empower consumers to make informed decisions, such as choosing products with smaller water footprints. Transparency in production processes is another critical factor. By revealing how much water goes into making products, industries can encourage consumers to support sustainable practices.

Metering and sub-metering of water consumption would really push efficiency gains. Currently, there are no requirements for regular information on water consumption, unlike for energy, explained Mr Wielding.

In her closing remarks, Elena Montani of the European Commission stressed that the Commission’s work on water over the past five years has focused on strengthening public protection, access to clean water and sanitation, transparency (including on water bills), the ‘polluter pays’ principle and water efficiency practices. The Commission is now developing a Water Resilience Strategy which aims to address the broken water cycle, tackle both water quality and quantity issues, and integrate water into food, energy and ecosystems.