Call for experts: Join the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform

The European Commission has opened a call for experts to join the new Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, a key initiative under the EU Water Resilience Strategy. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which will co-chair the platform, has been actively advocating for such a mechanism through its  EU Blue Deal initiative since 2023, calling for a more coordinated and inclusive European approach to water.

The platform will bring together a wide range of stakeholders to support efforts to restore and protect the water cycle, build a water-smart economy and ensure access to clean and affordable water for all. Experts are invited to express their interest to join.

As co-chair, the EESC will contribute to ensuring that civil society expertise is fully integrated into the platform’s work. The creation of this forum reflects key recommendations put forward by the EESC through its EU Blue Deal initiative, which calls for water to be recognised as a strategic priority at EU level, fully integrated into key policy areas and supported by a long-term vision and adequate funding to ensure water security for all.

This call comes at a time of growing global attention to water challenges, with increasing pressures from climate change, pollution and geopolitical tensions highlighting the need for coordinated and inclusive action.

EESC President Séamus Boland stresses: "Protecting our water resources and using them efficiently is an ambitious goal that we must pursue - for ourselves and for future generations. As the voice of organised civil society, the EESC has been calling since 2023 for the creation of a Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, bringing together expertise from across sectors to address the social, economic and environmental dimensions of water challenges. I am proud of this new collaboration between the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and the EESC, which reflects the European Union’s strong level of ambition on water resilience."

Who can apply?

Experts with experience in the following areas are encouraged to apply:  

• water efficiency and demand management 
• water governance and implementation 
• water financing, investment and infrastructure 
• digitalisation of the water sector 
• research and innovation 
• water industry and skills
• water preparedness and security 

The Commission encourages diverse applications, with due consideration given to geographical balance, areas of expertise, and gender balance. 

Up to 60 members will be appointed by the Director-General for Environment for a five-year term. The Platform will be chaired by the Directorate-General for Environment, together with a member of the Committee of the Regions and a member of the European Economic and Social Committee. 

Selected applicants are expected to contribute to a development of a three-year work programme, which will be reviewed annually; to attend biannual meetings in Brussels, and to provide expertise and advice to support the implementation of the EU Water Resilience Strategy. 

The first meeting is expected in the third quarter of 2026. 

How to apply

The call for applications opens on 20 March 2026.

Applications must be sent by 23h59 on 17 April 2026.

Further details on the selection criteria and application process are available in the call for applications and terms of reference on the Register of Commission Expert Groups page.

Background

The Water Resilience Strategy, adopted in June 2025, sets out measures to restore and protect the water cycle, build a water-smart economy, and ensure access to clean and affordable water for all.  The Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, which was first announced in the European Commission’s 2026 work programme, will provide a forum of dialogue and advice to support these objectives.