Existing tools to address water challenges remain fragmented across EU policies, despite the water stress that is intensifying across Europe because of climate change. Establishing water as a standalone strategic priority on a par with the EU Green Deal has now become a must, writes Pietro Francesco De Lotto.
The climate crisis is real, and simply hoping that EU citizens will voluntarily change their ways enough to create the necessary change is idealistic at best. European politicians are coming around to the idea of a more rigorously planned approach, so-called state 'planification'.
Companies are increasingly recognising the value of reporting on water-related topics, but many of them are still refusing transparency efforts, writes Mirjam Wolfrum.
Despite being one of the most prevalent types of Legionnaires' disease, tracking the source of cases of community-acquired Legionnaires' disease (CALD) is notoriously difficult. An in-depth study in Berlin over three years found that the presence of a virulent type of Legionella pneumophila in household water was a significantly greater predictor for CALD than the overall concentration of all Legionella species.
Water for drinking and hygiene is a basic human right, yet one in three people on the planet is without access to safe drinking water and 785 million people live without clean water close to home.
Weak rules and poor implementation: this is why the EU is failing to curb pollution from the chemical industry, says Jean-Luc Wietor.
Water is a critical global security matter and Slovenia intends to put it at the core of its EU presidency, which starts on 1 July, writes Dr Stanislav Raščan.
In the quest to control the pandemic, our best defense might be flowing underground. According to Science magazine, researchers in Paris spent several weeks this year sampling sewage for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In Germany,
Europe is no exception to the decline in freshwater biodiversity, due to many threats such as agricultural pollution, or the overwhelming development of hydropower, writes Dr Steven Weiss. Dr Steven Weiss is an associate professor at the …
The European Commission should impose more stringent measures on producers to protect the environment and consumers. Making producers responsible for their products throughout their whole life cycle benefits us all, writes Oliver Loebel.
Responding to the unprecedented challenge posed by climate change will require all actors – including the defence and security community – to step outside their comfort zone, writes Luca Bergamaschi.
In our highly interconnected world of today, Europe and Central Asia have never been so close, and neither have the potential benefits of working even more closely together been so evident, write Federica Mogherini and Neven Mimica.
The state of Europe’s water ecosystems puts a big question mark over the future availability of freshwater, for people and for all manner of industry, not least for food production and agriculture, writes Jabier Ruiz.
The European Parliament can save the entire water reuse project, or render the whole exercise until now worthless when it votes on 12 February, writes Roberto Mazzini.
All EU citizens have the right to high-quality drinking water, write representatives from drinking water suppliers, consumer NGO and industrial manufacturers of materials in contact with drinking water. Stephen Russell is secretary-general of the European Consumers Association (ANEC), Dr Claudia Castell-Exner …
The conclusions agreed by EU foreign ministers on the importance of water in foreign policy are welcome but must be backed by actions, says Sophie Aujean.
Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are our life support system, but EU member states are trying to destroy the law that protects them and the window to save them is closing, warns Andreas Baumüller.
The European Commission needs to deliver an agricultural policy that does not reward agricultural pollution, write Claudia Castell-Exner and Arjen Frentz from Europe's drinking water and wastewater service operators (EurEau).
MEPs must ensure that drinking water remains affordable while protecting public health at the same time, writes Claudia Castell-Exner.
The latest science shows that Europe’s freshwater bodies are in a dreadful ecological state. Governments must finally take responsibility and undertake serious efforts to comply with EU legislation, urges Andreas Baumüller.
Europe’s water infrastructure is ageing in all EU member states. The European Commission is at a pivotal moment and should decide to invest during the next MFF (2021-2027) to reap the health and environmental benefits, and to save money in the long term, writes Klara Ramm.
Disputes over an Austrian hydropower project and snow cannon system are ushering in a new era for water protection across the EU, writes Andrea Johanides.
The new EU Drinking Water Directive could be the tool to reduce water losses, cut energy consumption and deliver better quality of water, writes Mads Warming.
The rise in the urban population worldwide is expected to lead to a 50% increase in demand for energy and water, generating challenges that exert pressure on water resources and threaten global water security, writes Benedito Braga.
