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Association of Water Companies, Slovakia

AVS

Association of Water Companies, Slovakia is an association of business entities operating in the field of providing water management activities related to the operation of public water supply and public sewerage systems.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Veronica Manfredi (Director Environment)

27 Mar 2025 · Innovation in water infrastructure management

Meeting with Veronica Manfredi (Director Environment) and Veolia Environnement

26 Mar 2025 · Exchange on competitive European Water Resilience

Response to European Water Resilience Strategy

3 Mar 2025

The Association of Water Companies (AVS), Slovakia, welcomes the European Commissions EU Water Resilience Strategy (EWRS) as an essential initiative to safeguard sustainable water management. With climate change, aging infrastructure, and urbanization placing growing pressure on water systems, modernization and strategic financing are critical to ensuring the long-term resilience of the EU water sector. One of the biggest challenges is the aging water infrastructure across Slovakia and the EU. Numerous municipal systems were built decades ago, which urgently require modernisation to reduce inefficiencies, prevent water losses and meet evolving environmental standards. Without investment, deteriorating pipelines and outdated treatment facilities will continue to increase operational costs and environmental risks. Municipalities play a key role in ensuring water resilience but often struggle with financial and technical limitations. Restricted local budgets, regulatory constraints, and a lack of technical expertise create significant challenges in implementing necessary upgrades and adopting new technologies. Additionally, slow progress in digital transformation hampers their ability to optimise operations and respond effectively to emerging water risks such as the presence of pollutants, increasing demand for water resources and impacts of climate change. To address these issues, the EWRS should focus on expanding existing financial instruments with new approaches. One of these are bonds which support infrastructure renewal. Bonds provide a proven method for securing long-term capital while reducing reliance on limited public budgets. Successful examples from Western Europe demonstrate their effectiveness in funding modernisation efforts and implementing advanced water management solutions. Furthermore, the EWRS should encourage stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to attract investment. Additionally, promoting incentives for smart water management technologies can help improve efficiency, while strengthening regulatory frameworks will create a stable environment for long-term infrastructure investments. The AVS proposes to use its expertise and work closely with EU institutions to support the successful implementation of the EWRS. Building a resilient and sustainable water sector for the future will require a well-funded and proactive strategy that prioritises innovation and investments.
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