EESC reinforces call for water resilience with a set of strong new recommendations

Water must be treated as a strategic priority for Europe, stressed the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) during its September plenary session, where three new opinions on water policy were adopted. The debate brought together high-level EU and UN representatives, highlighting the Committee’s ongoing commitment to the EU Blue Deal, which it has championed for nearly four years.

EESC Vice-President for Communication Laurenţiu Plosceanu opened the debate by recalling the Committee’s pioneering role in placing water at the centre of EU policy. He highlighted the wide-reaching importance of water: it underpins agriculture, food security, industrial competitiveness, societal stability, biodiversity and, ultimately, life on Earth.

‘The Blue Deal has been one of the most consequential initiatives from our committee. Civil society, businesses, citizens, and social partners are ready to work together to ensure water resilience now, and in the years to come’, Plosceanu said.

Two years after the EESC’s Declaration for an EU Blue Deal, progress has been made: the EU now has a Commissioner dedicated to water and the Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy addresses many of the Committee’s core demands. Yet challenges remain. The Committee emphasised the need for comprehensive, cross-sectoral policy integration, and regretted the absence of consistent references to water in initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal. A key new recommendation of the EESC is to introduce a water test for new and revised EU legislation to ensure that European actions across sectors take into account the water dimension.

A global wake-up call

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, stressed that, while climate mitigation remains important, extreme events are already affecting communities across Europe. ‘What we really need is adaptation with a water transition’, he said, underlining that social and environmental resilience must go hand in hand. He called for EU strategies that go beyond words, and ensure that water, sanitation and clean drinking water are treated as human rights, not just statements of intent.

On financing, Arrojo-Agudo was direct: ‘Are we short of resources for a suicidal arms race? Apparently not. But when it comes to ensuring the human right to water, suddenly there is no funding. It is simply a question of priorities’. He also called for those responsible for environmental degradation to bear the cost, not citizens, and pressed for the EU to use its global presence to make water a true multilateral priority.

Water at the heart of EU policy

The EU is stepping up efforts to place water at the centre of its climate and economic agenda. Pernille Weiss-Ehler, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Roswall, acknowledged that the EESC’s Blue Deal opinions and Declaration had paved the way towards the Water Resilience Strategy, adopted in June. She stressed that the strategy goes beyond words: ‘It includes over 30 concrete actions to restore the broken water cycle, transition to a water-smart economy, and secure clean, affordable water for all. Delivering this will require real coordination across sectors, better data and targeted investment in infrastructure and innovation’. Implementation will also require strong political will and close coordination between EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders. The first step in this rollout will be the European Commission Water Resilience Forum on 8 December, co-hosted by the EESC and the Committee of the Regions, which will bring together actors from across Europe to discuss progress and next steps.

Speaking remotely, Member of the European Parliament, Marcos Ros Sempere, thanked the EESC for its leadership in placing water at the centre of the EU debate, and warned that Europe cannot take water for granted: ‘Water is essential for wellbeing, economic competitiveness, and regional resilience. We must guarantee safe access, modernise agriculture, and support regions hardest hit by water challenges. The draft Multiannual Financial Framework risks diluting cohesion policy, which is indispensable for water resilience. Without a strong cohesion pillar, EU solidarity fails and water security is at stake’.

Three opinions, one coherent vision

The three opinions adopted by the Committee together present a comprehensive and coherent approach to water resilience. The opinion on the European Water Resilience Strategy provides the Committee’s main response to this overarching EU-level approach to water. It welcomes the Strategy while stressing the need for stronger EU-level governance and dedicated funding in the next EU budget. Supporting the 10% water efficiency target, the opinion calls for its integration in sectoral action plans to make the target operational. It also urges the EU to bring forward the deadline of 2030 for Member States to introduce national action plans to reduce leakages and to make their implementation mandatory.

The opinion on water resilience and the twin transition focuses on the interplay between water, digitalisation and decarbonisation. It calls for water-efficient decarbonisation technologies and for the development of more water-resilient data centres and artificial intelligence. It also emphasises the need for better coordination across sectors and targeted policies in regions facing water scarcity, aiming to make Europe’s economy both sustainable and resilient.

Finally, the opinion on blue diplomacy and water cooperation stresses the EU’s global responsibility. Water is essential not only for development and sustainable growth but also for peace and security. The Committee urges the European Union to integrate water considerations into foreign policy and development cooperation, particularly in regions facing acute scarcity or transboundary tensions, and to address climate-induced migration by tackling the root causes.

Continuing the Blue Deal journey

Water policy impacts households, farmers, industries and communities facing floods, droughts, or pollution. By strengthening governance, investing in infrastructure and promoting sustainable water management across all sectors and policies, the EU can ensure that citizens inherit a Europe where water is safe, accessible and sustainable.

The plenary debate confirmed the EESC’s determination to keep water at the top of the EU agenda, translating the EU Blue Deal from vision into practical, strategic action. EESC Vice President Plosceanu concluded: ‘Our Committee will continue to play an active role in co-organising the Water Resilience Forum and as a member of the Smart Industrial Alliance. Together with our partners, we aim to set up a Water Stakeholder Platform. Europe must also step up on the global stage ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference’.