European environment ministers will be meeting in Nicosia on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 February to discuss ways of strengthening coordination in the face of growing climate risks and water shortages, which already threaten 30% of the European Union’s territory and 33% of its population.
According to the latest figures from the European Environment Agency (EEA), economic losses linked to extreme weather events have reached €822 billion since 1980, including €208 billion between 2021 and 2024. With average temperatures already rising by more than +1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, the EU must act quickly to prevent the majority of climate risks from becoming catastrophic by 2100, according to the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council.
In 2024, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for an ambitious European plan to adapt to climate change. In June 2025, a Water Resilience Strategy was presented (see EUROPE 13653/7). The Commission is currently preparing an integrated framework for climate resilience (legislative proposal).
On 6 February, ministers will discuss financing mechanisms (public and private) and the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in supporting the most vulnerable regions, particularly in the Mediterranean.
The debate will focus on four topics: - how can coordination between sectors (agriculture, energy, civil protection) be improved to maximise synergies?; - should EU-wide reference climate scenarios be adopted to facilitate planning?; - how can the European Union and the Member States ensure that the future package on the integrated framework for climate resilience and the Water Resilience Strategy are implemented in a synergistic manner to help achieve the EU’s environmental objectives for 2030 and 2050?; - what financial tools can be mobilised to support resilience projects, particularly in the most exposed areas?
The conclusions of this informal meeting will feed into the Commission’s work on the integrated framework for climate resilience. They could also influence the forthcoming negotiations on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Ministers will also discuss strengthening the European Union’s effectiveness in international climate negotiations and measures on the circular economy (see EUROPE 13779/10). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)