MEPs to call for bolder EU action on water resilience
Ϸվ will debate on Tuesday and adopt on Wednesday its recommendations ahead of the European Commission’s water resilience strategy.
MEPs will discuss and vote on a draft report, prepared by the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, detailing how the EU should manage its water resources more efficiently and respond better to current challenges. The resulting resolution will serve as Ϸվ input to the European water resilience strategy soon to be put forward by the Commission.
The text calls for the introduction of sectoral targets for water efficiency and water abstraction (taking water from a surface or underground source), and highlights the need for adequate funding, better use of digital tools and artificial intelligence solutions. MEPs may also call on the EU to do more to reduce water pollution from pharmaceuticals, chemical pesticides and fertilisers, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, microplastics and chemicals, and to phase out “forever chemicals” (PFAS).
Background
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for a European water resilience strategy in her July 2024 . Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, reiterated that commitment in her confirmation hearing, and the strategy was included in the Commission’s 2025 .
Debate: Tuesday, 6 May
Vote: Wednesday, 7 May
Press conference: Wednesday at 15:00 CET