At the first European Water Resilience Forum, co-organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission on Monday 8 December, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall announced a number of new initiatives in this area.
As part of the ‘Water Resilience Strategy’ presented in June (see EUROPE 13653/7), the Commissioner stressed the urgent need for investment in water systems and announced the creation of an investment accelerator dedicated to water resilience. It will support a range of pilot projects, from natural water retention to the use of artificial intelligence to detect leaks. The EU has set itself a target of improving water efficiency by 10% by 2030, in particular through the reuse of water in agriculture and industry, as well as innovation to reduce water consumption in energy and data centres, she pointed out.
Next year, the Commission will adopt an action plan to digitise the water sector. The European digital water market is expected to almost double to €23.5 billion by 2033, representing an investment opportunity of €169 billion for European tech. Every billion invested generates around 16,000 jobs.
To support this transition, the EU will also be launching the Water Academy, designed to develop the necessary skills. In addition, an ‘Actions Tracker’, accessible on the Commission’s website, will enable citizens to follow the progress being made. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)