On Tuesday 4 February, the European Commission published three reports on the state of water in the European Union, based on the state of implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
These reports are part of the preparations for the European strategy on water resilience scheduled for this spring. “We need to base ourselves on facts and figures before taking measures”, said the European Commissioner for Environment and Water Resilience, Jessika Roswall, on 4 February.
At present, “less than 40% of (...) surface water bodies achieve good ecological status (...) and only a quarter achieve good chemical status”, noted the European Commissioner. The reports attribute this situation mainly to widespread contamination by mercury and other toxic pollutants. At the same time, scarcity and droughts are becoming growing concerns in the EU. In Spain, for example, “74% of the country is at risk of desertification”, noted Jessika Roswall.
To repair the water cycle, the European Commission has advocated a “source to sea” approach.
Among the measures, the Commission has asserted that pollution from agriculture and urban wastewater, as well as chemical pollution, will have to be reduced to achieve healthy water in Europe by 2050. Protecting the marine environment means not only restoring biodiversity, but also reducing pollution from nutrients, chemical substances and underwater noise.
In addition, Member States will now need to “think in terms of water circularity and water efficiency”, according to Ms Roswall. The issue of funding was raised.
The report dedicated to the latter suggests strengthening planning and administrative capacities, favouring nature-based solutions (ecosystem restoration) and preparedness measures (early warning and awareness systems).
Jessika Roswall acknowledged: “We have very many good legislations on water, but it’s a lack of implementation”. To address this, it plans to “engage in a structured dialogue with the various EU Member States to build political momentum for change”. This does not mean that the Commission will stop infringement proceedings before the European Court of Justice, warned the European Commissioner. A European source confirmed that “we are using all the tools at our disposal” to ensure proper implementation.
On Tuesday 4 February, the European Commission also launched a call for contributions from stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to make suggestions for the design of the future ‘European Water Resilience Strategy’. A stakeholder consultation event will be held on 6 March 2025.
The European Parliament published a draft own-initiative report on water resilience on Thursday 30 January, with a view to influencing the Commission in the development of its strategy (see EUROPE 13570/5).
See the report on the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive: https://aeur.eu/f/fcm
See the report on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: https://aeur.eu/f/fcn (Original version in French by Florent Servia)