EESC Contribution to the UN Water Conference 2026: from the EU Blue Deal and Water Resilience Strategy to global water action

Practical Information:

• Composition of the Study Group
• Luis DOS SANTOS LOPES BARBOSA E SILVA (administrator) and Heli NIEMELÄ-FARRER (administrator)/Sara RACITI (assistant) and Joana LOPES VILELA (assistant)
• Contact: E-mail

The EU Youth Test at the EESC is being applied to this opinion. The IWA - International Water Association  was chosen by a group of interested youth organisations to represent all of them during the opinion-making process.

Background

Water is one of the most significant challenges of our time, with implications worldwide. With our call for an EU Blue Deal, the EESC stated that water needs to be a strategic priority across all policies, and deeply impacted the way water is addressed at EU level. Ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, the Committee intends to take this ambition to the global stage.

Water management and water policies are by definition of a cross-border nature, and unilateral solutions to tackle them will be insufficient. The EU must therefore seize the global momentum to address the water urgency, and promote a global, multilateral and holistic water agenda centered on cooperation, human rights, preparedness and conflict prevention, addressing water across different policy areas.

The conclusions of the opinion aim to contribute to the joint EU position to be adopted by ahead of the UN Water Conference, and to the participation of the EESC delegation at the conference. The work will be focused on the themes of the six interactive dialogues, and will provide concrete pathways of action based on the Blue Deal principles.