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Aggeres

Aggeres, a SME based in Anvers (Belgium), is a global leader in innovative flood defense solutions, dedicated to protecting cities, communities, and businesses from water-related risks.

Lobbying Activity

Response to European climate resilience and risk management law

4 Sept 2025

Aggeres welcomes the European Commissions proposal to develop a new European climate resilience and risk management Plan. Extreme water-related events are already causing unacceptable social and economic damages every year, with thousands of lives lost and an annual financial impact estimated by the European Environment Agency at 8 billion. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, and as urban expansion increases the value of assets in high-risk areas, future losses are expected to grow substantially. Torrential precipitation is becoming increasingly common, while accelerating sea-level rise raises the risk of coastal flooding and storm surges. The Water Resilience Strategy, published in June, represents an important first step in recognizing the urgency of addressing these phenomena. Europe must now raise its ambitions in the field of climate adaptation to prevent unavoidable extreme weather events from putting at risk its cities and communities. While nature-based solutions remain an essential tool for addressing these challenges, only the effective deployment of water-smart infrastructures, such as autonomous flood barriers, can ensure resilience against future events. These systems should not be seen as substitutes but as complementary to nature-based solutions, with the added advantage of being deployable in urban areas where natural measures are not feasible. Protecting Europes historic city centers, public and private buildings, parking areas, and common spaces must be a priority for the decades ahead. This requires a shift in mindset; from reactive to proactive policies. The overarching goal of the plan should be to save lives in advance and prevent economic damage, focusing on prevention rather than reconstruction. This approach not only saves lives and money but also benefits the environment by reducing pollution spread during floods and avoiding unnecessary CO emissions linked to reconstruction. While public funding will play a role, mobilising private capital will be even more critical to help communities and households protect their buildings and make their cities and regions climate resilient. For this reason, Aggeres calls on the European Commission to listen to the voices of local and regional authorities, some of which have already developed effective and innovative financing models. For example, the Flemish Region of Belgium has adopted an insurance-based system that incentivises the deployment of smart water infrastructures by scoring buildings and insurance policies according to their adoption of climate-resilient measures. Aggeres believes that this model should be considered at the EU level as a basis for issuing future loans and guarantees, thanks to its capacity to mobilize significant additional private investment.With over 10 years of experience in the sector and numerous successful projects aimed at protecting cities, ports, infrastructure, and private buildings, Aggeres is eager to contribute to the success of this strategy. We highly value the inclusion of innovative solutions to strengthen urban resilience and ensure better preparedness for future water-related challenges, and we look forward to working with the Commission and all the relevant stakeholders for an effective implementation of these measures.
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Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

22 May 2025 ยท The Water Resilience Strategy and especially flooding prevention technologies

Response to European Water Resilience Strategy

4 Mar 2025

Aggeres welcomes the European Commissions proposal to draft a new European Water Resilience Strategy. Extreme water-related events are causing immense economic, social, and human losses, making it essential to address this issue at the European level. Water resilience is inherently a cross-border challenge, requiring coordinated action and robust risk reduction and mitigation strategies. Aggeres stresses the importance of developing a comprehensive strategy to enhance the resilience of European cities. Therefore, we call for the inclusion of an effective combination of measures for flood prevention and damage mitigation. While we fully support the deployment of nature-based solutions as means for adaptation, we believe that these should be complemented by other energy-efficient technological solutions, such as autonomous flood barriers. These innovations are particularly crucial in urban and highly densely populated areas, where nature-based solutions alone may not be feasible or deployable. Autonomous flood barriers offer a reliable and sustainable means of protection, as they are activated only when necessary and operate without requiring electricity. Their composition, free from chemicals, combined with a lifespan of over 100 years, makes them an environmentally friendly, non-polluting, efficient, and dependable solution to mitigate and avoid flood damage. We therefore urge the Commission to recognize and include such innovative technologies as indispensable tools in tackling the effects of extreme climate events in the upcoming Water Resilience Strategy. Integrating these solutions will be of vital importance for cities, local authorities, and regions, as well as for private citizens seeking to protect their homes, buildings, and communities from the devastating impacts of floods. With over 10 years of experience in the sector and numerous successful projects aimed at protecting cities, ports, infrastructure, and private buildings, Aggeres is eager to contribute to the success of this strategy. We highly value the inclusion of innovative solutions to strengthen urban resilience and ensure better preparedness for future water-related challenges and we look forward to work with the Commission and all the relevant stakeholders for an effective implementation of these measures.
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