Industrial and technological approaches and best practices supporting a water resilient society

Water and water systems are of key importance for nearly all industries and economic activities. For example, drinking quality water is a fundamental resource for the production of food and drinks, and many other water-intensive industries are dependent on the availability of good quality and affordable water. Industries need to prepare for and manage risks related to the degradation of water quality and water pollution as well as water scarcity and restrictions. Policies and risk assessments regarding water supply and management need to be developed at EU, national and regional levels as well as at company level.

Building on EESC's work on the Blue Deal, this exploratory opinion aims to deepen the analysis and make concrete recommendations on how to boost the development and uptake of new water technologies and best practices in the EU and support notably industries in the transformation towards a water-resilient society, taking into account sectoral constraints. For instance, risk assessments are needed taking into consideration the impact of water restrictions for industrial use as well as on the workforce, including skills and governance. The opinion will showcase concrete examples of how businesses, industries and other users leading the way in water-efficiency are managing water-related risks and applying best practices and technologies to mitigate them, with a focus on a few key/water-intensive industrial ecosystems, such as the food and drink industry.

The opinion will also provide recommendations on how to boost the development and uptake of new water technologies enabling water efficiency, recycling and pollution reduction with specific measures and policies needed at EU level, including: updates to the legislative framework and removal of obstacles hindering the uptake of new technologies, support for projects, skills needed for the future etc. Representatives of key industries, social partners and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to contribute to the opinion and present their experiences and best practices in this field.

In line with the EESC's Declaration on the EU Blue Deal and its action point 10, the examples from different industries will provide input towards an update of EU industrial policy and industrial pathways of the key industrial ecosystems, in addition to providing input to the follow-up of the upcoming EC Water Resilience initiative and to the future Water KIC to be established by the EIT.

Against this background, the European Commission has requested from the EESC an exploratory opinion on industrial and technological approaches and best practices supporting a water resilient society.