Following its plenary session on Thursday 20 June, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is calling on the European Commission to make water a strategic priority for its next mandate (2024-2029) and to appoint a European Commissioner in charge of the water portfolio.
The opinion adopted by the CoR calls on the Commission to “integrate water-related objectives into all European sectoral policies”. The European Commissioner responsible for the water portfolio could then “oversee the cross-sectoral strategy”, the press release states.
The CoR points out that the future of agriculture and food security “largely depends on water availability”, and that it is therefore necessary “to reinforce water-sustainable practices in the common agricultural policy", in particular by supporting “a transition to more water-efficient farming techniques”.
Ultimately, these initiatives aim “to pave Europe’s way towards water resilience and to safeguard the availability and quality of water for our present and future generations”, according to the European Committee of the Regions. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)