European Commission backtracks on Water Resilience Initiative

The withdrawal of the Water Resilience Initiative from the European Commission’s agenda has raised fears among environmental NGOs that Europe’s climate ambitions will be scaled back.

The Water Resilience Initiative was meant to be the EU’s overarching water strategy, dealing with issues like sustainable use of water and resilience against climate change.

Asked at a press briefing about the initiative’s future, the Commission’s environment spokesman, Adalbert Jahnz, said he had “no specific timing to announce” for it.

This triggered reactions from environmental NGOs who said the Commission decided to withdraw the initiative following the recent violent demonstrations of farmers across Europe.

“It makes no sense and can only be intended to make political gains in the run-up to the election,” said Claire Baffert, from the WWF’s European Policy Office

Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water, accounting for around 70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Last year, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) issued a joint call for the EU to adopt a “Blue Deal” with the objective of “reducing our water footprint in agriculture, industry, and household consumption”.

Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen announced in September that the water resilience initiative would remain a priority for the end of the mandate.

Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission vice-president responsible for green policies, was due to present the details of the plan on 12 March 2024.

However, the provisional agenda for the Commission’s weekly meetings, published on Wednesday (14 February), makes no mention of this initiative, and no other date has yet been set for its presentation.

Political considerations over climate ambition

“Why the European Commission is jeopardising something as essential as water resilience in the face of a climate emergency is unfathomable,” complained Sergiy Moroz, policy manager for water and biodiversity at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a green umbrella group.

Some EU countries (Portugal, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary, and Romania) and stakeholders such as EurEau the European Federation of National Water Utility Associations, have been calling for a water resilience strategy for a long time.

“If the EU does not prioritise water resilience, it risks undermining its credibility in global negotiations and fora, thereby diminishing its ability to respond effectively to pressing environmental challenges”, warned Andras Krolopp, head of biodiversity policy for Europe at The Nature Conservancy.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic and Frédéric Simon]

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