With the publication of the European Commission’s initiative on water resilience expected in April 2024, Portugal, supported by Italy, Cyprus, Hungary and Romania, called at the Agriculture Council on Tuesday 23 January for a plan to “promote the resilience of water bodies and the availability of water in the European Union” (see EUROPE 13329/2).
Known as ‘RewaterEU’, the plan’s objectives include guaranteeing access to water in quality and quantity for citizens and providing this resource to farmers to ensure food security.
Portugal and the other applicant countries mentioned measures based on storage (optimisation and construction of new infrastructures), management (reduction of losses and promotion of efficient use) and reuse of water. They are also counting on the development and use of new technologies (construction of desalination units, digital water management). According to these countries, the whole project should be financed by “a combination of European funds and private investment”.
The request presented by the Portuguese minister, Maria do Céu Antunes, was supported by nearly ten Member States, who pointed to recent climatic events (droughts, floods) that have had an impact on access to water for agriculture, and the need for sustainable water management. France stressed that there was “no single solution applicable to all territories”.
The European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, has given assurances that the forthcoming proposal on water resilience will include immediate actions and could lead to the establishment of a fully-fledged strategy.
The ministers also examined the proposal for an EU-wide forestry monitoring framework. Such a framework must not lead to duplication of effort and must be cost-effective, the Council warns. It also advised building on existing national forestry inventories. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)