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Water Europe

WE

Water Europe is a multi-stakeholder association representing over 290 members across Europe's water innovation ecosystem, promoting research and technology to achieve a Water-Smart Society.

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU taxonomy - Review of the environmental delegated act

5 Dec 2025

Water Europe (WE) welcomes the EU Commissions efforts to simplify the Taxonomy framework. However, simplification must not weaken the data foundations that enable evidence-based decision-making, financial transparency, and the mobilisation of private capital for Europes water resilience. With water pressures rising and investment needs reaching EUR 255 billion by 2030, undermining sustainability reporting or narrowing the scope of Taxonomy-related disclosures would hinder the ability of financial institutions to identify and support water-smart investments. Current proposals risk shrinking the reporting base to a limited number of large companies, thereby reducing the availability, comparability, and reliability of water-related information. Such a reduction would create blind spots in sectors where water risks and water-efficiency potential are most significant agriculture, industry, buildings, digital infrastructure, and manufacturing. A right-sized approach to SME reporting (simplified but mandatory) would preserve transparency while limiting administrative burden. WE also stresses the need to ensure coherence between the Taxonomy and EU water legislation, including the WFD, the DWD, the UWWTD, and the WRS. The scope of eligible activities must better reflect the reality of water management. Essential activities, including industrial water treatment, wastewater treatment under pollution-prevention objectives, and NBS, remain insufficiently covered. As stressed by sector feedback, thresholds and indicators often lack clarity, flexibility, or alignment with operational realities. Overly rigid, all-or-nothing criteria and inconsistent treatment of similar activities across environmental objectives increase complexity and reduce the usability of the Taxonomy. WE therefore calls for a reinforced and more coherent integration of water across the Climate and Environmental Delegated Acts. particularly, maintaining water- and energy-efficient criteria in both Delegated Acts (as technical screening criteria and as DNSH requirements) is essential. Their inclusion drives demand for efficient products, supports the objectives of the EED, the EPBD, and the Water Resilience Strategy, fosters harmonisation of voluntary green building certification schemes, and provides legal certainty for investors. Maintaining these criteria is crucial for supporting sustainable construction, renovation, affordability, and strategic autonomy. To ensure that simplification does not erode the quality of water-related information, introduction of specific, quantitative performance metrics for activities across the water cycle should be considered to improve comparability and strengthen the data foundations of Taxonomy assessments. WE calls on the upcoming revision of the Climate and Environmental Delegated Acts of the EU Taxonomy to: · maintaining water-related technical screening criteria and DNSH requirements; · embedding the objectives of the Water Resilience Strategy; · developing a dedicated water KPI or tag in Taxonomy reporting and green bonds; · harmonising criteria across environmental objectives; · ensuring proportional SME reporting; · strengthening the visibility of water-related investments through clearer definitions, sectoral benchmarks, and improved data accessibility. A simplified Taxonomy must not become a weaker Taxonomy. Maintaining robust, coherent, and water-inclusive criteria is essential to secure Europes resilience, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability.
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Water Europe urges integration of water management into EU Chips Act

28 Nov 2025
Topic — EU regulation strengthening semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
Message — Water Europe requests explicit recognition of water infrastructure and technologies as essential enablers in the Chips Act. They seek funding access for water purification and recycling systems, promotion of advanced water management technologies, and integration of water considerations into supply chain assessments.123
Why — This would position water technology providers as key partners in semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure.45
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Meeting with Thomas Bajada (Member of the European Parliament)

27 Oct 2025 · Water Innovation Europe 2025: Keynote Speech

Meeting with Ewa Malz (Head of Unit Environment)

9 Sept 2025 · OMNIBUS Environment Initiative

Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner) and

2 Sept 2025 · Water/ Energy Nexus Interaction of Water Efficiency policy and housing policies

Water Europe urges water resilience as cornerstone of EU climate adaptation

29 Aug 2025
Topic — EU framework for climate preparedness, resilience and harmonised climate risk management rules.
Message — The organization requests that national risk assessments include a dedicated, EU-harmonized section on water resources. They advocate for integrating water resilience into sustainable finance frameworks, developing true cost pricing for water, and creating dedicated funding mechanisms including a Water Transition Fund.123
Why — This would mobilize the €255 billion needed to meet existing EU water legislation requirements.4
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Meeting with Costas Kadis (Commissioner) and

17 Jul 2025 · European Ocean Pact - Water Resilience Strategy

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

10 Jun 2025 · Water Resilience Strategy

Meeting with Silvia Bartolini (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen)

2 Jun 2025 · Follow up to the Water resilienca Strategy

Meeting with Nicolo Brignoli (Cabinet of Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis)

7 May 2025 · Competitiveness

Meeting with Astrid Dentler (Cabinet of Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra) and European Alliance to Save Energy and

24 Apr 2025 · Water Resilience

Meeting with Lucie Šestáková (Cabinet of Commissioner Jozef Síkela), Riccardo Rossi (Cabinet of Commissioner Jozef Síkela)

22 Apr 2025 · Water Strategy in the International Partnership Framework

Meeting with Mirka Janda (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto) and European Construction Industry Federation and

15 Apr 2025 · Water sector

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

14 Apr 2025 · Water Resilience Strategy

Meeting with Johanna Bernsel (Cabinet of Commissioner Glenn Micallef)

10 Apr 2025 · Introductory meeting

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

8 Apr 2025 · Water Resilience Strategy

Meeting with Maxi Espeter (Cabinet of Commissioner Christophe Hansen)

28 Mar 2025 · Exchange of views on Water Resilience Strategy (WRS) including challenges facing the water sector

Meeting with Jessika Roswall (Commissioner) and

28 Mar 2025 · Roundtable “Investing in Water Resilience”

Meeting with Jessika Roswall (Commissioner) and

27 Mar 2025 · Roundtable “Water, Agriculture, and the Food Supply Chain”

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

21 Mar 2025 · Water Resilience Strategy

Water Europe urges shift toward outcomes-driven public procurement

6 Mar 2025
Topic — Evaluation of EU directives governing public procurement and concession contracts across various sectors.
Message — Water Europe requests a shift to an outcomes-driven procurement process prioritizing non-price criteria. They propose adopting challenge-based models and reducing administrative burdens to help smaller firms. Contracts should be assessed based on total lifecycle costs instead of initial costs.123
Why — This would drive market demand for the innovative water technologies developed by their members.4
Impact — Non-EU manufacturers could lose access to contracts under stricter ‘Buy European’ criteria.5
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Water Europe urges binding efficiency laws to combat water scarcity

3 Mar 2025
Topic — EU consultation on a strategy to ensure water resilience and proper resource management.
Message — Water Europe calls for a legally binding Water-Efficiency-First principle integrated into EU law across all sectors. They request a dedicated Water-Transition Fund to support infrastructure and a digital action plan for the water sector. Policy and investment decisions should include mandatory water efficiency considerations to ensure sustainable resource management.123
Why — This framework would drive demand for innovative water technologies and unlock new public funding streams.45
Impact — Water-intensive industries face increased costs from mandatory efficiency standards and regular water audits.67
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Meeting with Michalis Hadjipantela (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Feb 2025 · Introductory Meeting

Meeting with Elisabeth Werner (Deputy Secretary-General Secretariat-General) and ECOLAB

3 Feb 2025 · Antwerp Dialogue, the EU Water Resilience Strategy – An opportunity for European competitiveness

Meeting with Stine Bosse (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Dec 2024 · European water policy

Meeting with Christophe Clergeau (Member of the European Parliament) and Conférence des Régions Périphériques Maritimes d'Europe (CRPM)

17 Dec 2024 · SEArica

Meeting with Gabriella Gerzsenyi (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Dec 2024 · Introductory meeting on the socio-economic benefits of investing in water

Meeting with Grégory Allione (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

20 Nov 2024 · Réunion Water Europe

Meeting with Sebastian Everding (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Oct 2024 · Introductory Meeting

Meeting with Lena Schilling (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Oct 2024 · Water resilience

Meeting with André Rodrigues (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Oct 2024 · Water resilience and Water intergroup

Meeting with Radan Kanev (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Sept 2024 · Renewal of "Water Intergroup" in addressing water as a priority resource

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Sept 2024 · Water policy

Meeting with Majdouline Sbai (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Sept 2024 · Echange sur la politique européenne de l'eau

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Sept 2024 · Introduction to the work of Water Europe

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Jul 2024 · EU Water Policy

Meeting with Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Jul 2024 · Water

Meeting with Céline Imart (Member of the European Parliament) and Agence Droit Devant

22 Jul 2024 · Agriculture

Meeting with Stine Bosse (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Jul 2024 · EU water policy

Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jul 2024 · Water Intergroup

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Jun 2024 · WMM KIC

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Member of the European Parliament) and Central Denmark EU Office

6 Jun 2024 · WMM KIC

Response to Managing EU climate risks

10 Jan 2024

Established initially as a EU technology platform, Water Europe is the recognized voice and promoter of water-related RTD in Europe. WE is a purpose-driven multi-stakeholder association with over 250 members, representing the entire range of actors in the innovative water ecosystem. WE is guided in all its activities by its Water Vision, with the ultimate ambition of achieving a Water-Smart Society (Water Europe, 2023). The materialization of extreme weather such as drought and floods and other impact of climate change requires continuous progress in improving security, resilience and sustainability of our society, economy, and environment. WE wants to raise the importance of the value of water as a key pathway to climate mitigation, beyond the valuable European water acquis. Europe must build a Water-Smart society to effectively progress on its climate mitigation and compensate for the lack of global action. EU policymakers must master the cross-sectoral water risks and challenges, including their full economic impacts. These risks could eliminate USD5.6 trillion from the GDP of our economies globally, with direct impacts for the insurance and banking sectors for instance. The WRI predicts a 56% gap between water supply and demand by 2030. Therefore, European green pathway is threatened by the lack of water-smart management of the resource while invest in strategic water-intensive sectors (Water Europe manifesto, 2023): 43 bn is invested for the European Chips Act, while an integrated circuit on a 30cm wafer requires 8,300 liters of water. 235 bn is dedicated to digital under the EU Budget 2021-2027, while a 1 MW data center uses 25,5 million liters of water each year. 130 bn of EU investments are directly associated with hydrogen projects, while for every kg of hydrogen produced, 9kg of demineralized water is consumed. Water is a cross-sector resource with direct impact on the different policy areas that you identified in the call for evidence (energy, food, building). The 6th IPCC report as well as the recent COP28 consensus point out the role of water in climate policy mitigation. Water goes hand in hand with climate policies. The UN Water conference in 2023 also stressed the importance of water resilience but it shall go beyond by ensuring water security and sustainability. 5 areas could be identified for investment and innovation to get continuous progress: Circular water. Exploiting the value in water (energy, nutrient, materials) can support resource efficiency and minimum climate impact through the development of circular approach as stressed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC, 2023). Multiple water. As water scarcity is increasingly impacting Europe (EU, 2023), the diversification of water sources, water reuse and efficiency are key for household and economy, contributing to reducing water stress, impact on biodiversity and protect wetlands as carbon sink. Resilient water. It goes through the development of hybrid green-grey water system designed to withstand severe shocks such as floods and droughts without compromising essential functions for our society. It is also paired with the aim to reduce gas emissions from the sector. The water sector contributes to about 2% of the GHG emissions globally. Inclusive water. Skills to drive the transformation in all the economic sectors are key. Moreover, cooperation in Europe and beyond are key particularly via partnerships (eg. Water4all). Particularly, Water-oriented living labs is recognized as a good example in the UN Water Report 2023. Digital water. Build upon the interconnectivity of people, devices, and processes and create capillary networks for monitoring water systems, supporting monitoring and governance for a more proactive approach on water-related climate risks. Lastly, several EU-funded projects related to water and climate (eg. Arsinoe, Tranformar, Multisource) have solutions for accelerating climate mitigation.
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Meeting with Beatrice Covassi (Member of the European Parliament) and Danfoss A/S and Bentley Systems, Incorporated

7 Nov 2023 · Digitalisation of Water Infrastructures

Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Commissioner) and

4 Jul 2023 · To discuss Commission’s legislative proposals currently in co-decision (on Integrated Water Management, revised Urban Wastewater Treatment and Industrial Emissions Directives) and international water related initiatives.

Meeting with Ivo Belet (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica), Marco La Marca (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica) and European Water Association

30 Jun 2023 · Exchange of views on a European Water Strategy.

Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

27 Jun 2023 · Water Europe Award 2023

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

30 May 2023 · The opportunity to build a European Water Strategy ahead of the next elections

Meeting with Wioletta Dunin-Majewska (Cabinet of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira)

25 May 2023 · Cohesion policy investment and other types of support for the water systems and management.

Meeting with Maria da Graça Carvalho (Member of the European Parliament)

25 May 2023 · Water policies, activities of Water Europe, potential creation of a KIC on Water within the EIT

Water Europe urges stronger water efficiency standards in EU Taxonomy

3 May 2023
Topic — The EU is defining sustainable investment criteria for water protection and circular economy.
Message — Water Europe wants water-saving showers and circular water systems better integrated into construction and renovation standards. They also call for including digital monitoring and leakage control technologies across the technical criteria.123
Why — These changes would drive investment and innovation for the water technology and research sector.45
Impact — Producers of standard water appliances may face lower investment as their products fail sustainability benchmarks.6
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Meeting with Deirdre Clune (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and European Environmental Bureau and

29 Mar 2023 · Stakeholder Consultation on Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

Meeting with Marcos Ros Sempere (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Mar 2023 · UN Water Conference 2023

Meeting with Nils Torvalds (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Danfoss A/S

28 Feb 2023 · Urban wastewater treatment

Meeting with Margrete Auken (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

27 Feb 2023 · Recast of UWWTD

Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

9 Feb 2023 · Industrial Emissions Directive

Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act

22 Nov 2022

Water Europe (WE) is the voice and promoter of water-related innovation and RTD in Europe. WE is a multi-stakeholder association representing over 250 members from academia, industry, technology providers, water users, water service providers, civil society, and public authorities. WE activities and positions are guided by its Water Vision The Value of Water: Towards a Future-Proof European Water-Smart Society. WE welcomes the EU Commission initiative for a package of legislative and non-legislative initiatives to secure a sustainable supply of critical raw materials for Europe. The water sector can contribute to this objective and particularly support the following objectives: - Untapped potential of EU supply - Adverse social and environmental impacts - Support circularity - Encourage research and innovation to optimise critical raw materials value chain in Europe In its objective to achieve a Water Smart Society, the innovative water sector supports the exploitation of the value in water by extracting materials embedded in wastewater flows. It supports circularity, reduction of environmental impact and provide a new source to secure raw material supply. WE already stressed theses benefits in its position on the soil health law & phosphorus management in Europe (cf. WE position). WE also wants to stress the importance to consider in this strategy the co- benefits that a water-smart approach can have for the industrial activities and their emissions into water as well as the synergies with the zero pollution strategy, for instance (cf. EU Parliament, P9_TA(2021)0468, paragraphs 2 & 66). WE also supports the need to encourage R&D&I through nexuses approach, notably on efficiency, recycling of materials in the context of recognising the value of water and exploiting the value in water. WE also encourages the development of Water-oriented LivingLabs to accelerate the implementation.
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Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

12 Jul 2022 · Industrial Emissions Directive

Response to Soil Health Law – protecting, sustainably managing and restoring EU soils

15 Mar 2022

Water Europe welcomes the opening of the call for evidence, after the adaptation of the resolution including the important focus on the soils-water nexus. The inclusion of the Water-Smart Society tools into the soil health law will strongly benefit to several European strategies not only the Circular Economy Action Plan in line with water management, but also the Biodiversity and Forest Strategies. As mentioned in section AV. 2. of the resolution of the European Parliament, its “multifunctional role” has to be fully exploited to increase public health, economy and our environment. It opens the possibility to apply innovative, circular solutions and also the possibility to take advantage of the synergies between different sectors. A holistic approach allows several problems to be tackled efficiently at once and offers many advantages, especially for water management in urban areas and activities in rural areas. Therefore, we need to incorporate rigorously the objective of a Water-Smart Society referred to in point 21. The ambition to achieve a European Water-Smart Society which is defined as a society in which:  the true value of water is recognised and realised,  all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of water resources are avoided,  water and resource loops are largely closed to foster a circular economy and optimal resource efficiency, and  the water system is resilient against the impact of climate change events.  and all relevant stakeholders are involved in the governance of our water system. Moreover, Commissioner Várhelyi emphasized at the Cairo Water Week the necessity of a Water-Smart Society, especially for a modern agriculture. The future legislation needs to be cohesive and coherent with the EU’s current sustainability objectives. This applies especially to the soil and water management, which go hand in hand. Good quality soil is the base for healthy plants and a healthy ecosystem and also increases the biodegradation of contaminants for a more efficient and functional nutrient cycling as we previously stressed for the consultation on the soils strategy. Lastly, Several EU projects related to water are developing and deploying solutions in line with the soil-water-nexus, like Nexogenesis, NextGen, Water Mining, Ultimate or Hydrousa. They demonstrates the feasibility of some solution for healthy soils and realizing the value of water.
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Meeting with Eleonora Evi (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Feb 2022 · Energy and water

Response to Evaluation and revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation

26 Apr 2021

It its Water Vision, Water Europe (WE) has set out a blueprint for a society in which the true value of water is recognized and realized, and all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of water are avoided, water and resource loops are largely closed to foster a circular economy and optimal resource efficiency, while the water system is resilient against the impact of climate change events. In line with its vision, WE welcomes the intention of the European Commission to evaluate and revise the EU general pharmaceutical legislation, and in particular its objectives to address environmental issues and AMR. In order to achieve a Water-Smart Society, the revision should consider the following elements: REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MEDECINES ON WATER Water Europe supports the objective of enhancing the environmental safety of the production, use and disposal of medicines. Indeed, pharmaceutical residues can directly or indirectly enter into the water cycle and have adverse impact on ecosystems. Traces of some pharmaceuticals have even been found in drinking water (Communication from the Commission, 2019). “Environmentally Safe by Design” is a leading principle. Particularly, water footprint reduction must be considered directly at the design stage, where a huge potential for water saving is present (CDP, 2020 ; Water Europe 2020). A strengthening of the requirements for environmental risk assessment and conditions of uses of medicines is also necessary. In addition to the major challenges related to AMR, attention should be given to harmful ecosystem impacts such as bio-accumulation, cross-resistance and hormone-disrupting chemicals (Water Europe’s reply to the public consultation on the new EU Pharmaceutical Strategy). Enhanced application of the polluter pays principle can be a good tool to tackle pollution but in this particular case of AMR, we have to be mindful that it can go against the principle of leaving no one behind by impacting the price of medication. To avoid these drawbacks a more prudent use of medication is needed, including through harmonization prescription and healthcare regimes. INVESTING IN INNOVATIVE WATER-RELATED SOLUTIONS There is a need to fill the knowledge gap in terms of environmental process, including the ecotoxicity and environmental fate of pharmaceuticals. Water Europe identified Water-oriented Living Labs in the pharmaceutical sector to tackle environmental risks and develop fit-for-purpose innovations (eg. Nireas International Water research center or watercampus Leeuwarden). DIGITAL WATER Through monitoring along the entire value chain, digitalization is an opportunity for the health sector to improve the efficiency of medicines consumption and quality to reduce their impact on our environment, particularly regarding water quality. Digitalisation can contribute to a better consideration of the value of water with the aim to reduce antimicrobial resistance and harmful ecosystem impacts. It can also facilitate the communication of monitoring information to citizens and health professionals. HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARDS A WATER-SMART SOCIETY The EU pharmaceuticals legislation must go hand in hand with the European Green Deal, the Zero Pollution Action Plan for water, air and soil, as well as the objectives of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and those of the Circular Economy Action Plan.
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Response to Bathing water quality – review of EU rules

24 Mar 2021

Water Europe (WE) welcomes the initiative of the European Commission, especially its objective to bring the Directive in line with the Green Deal goals to achieve a Water-Smart Society. Water Europe has set out a blueprint for a society in which the true value of water is recognised and realised, and all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of water are avoided, water and resource loops are largely closed to foster a circular economy and optimal resource efficiency, while the water system is resilient against the impact of climate change events. In line with our vision, we take the opportunity of this consultation to stress primary the importance to key concepts for a modernisation of the bathing water legislation before releasing a full WE position: ALIGN THE DIRECTIVE WITH THE LATEST STATE OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION As stressed in the EEA report, there is a necessity to update the legislation in line with the new challenges such as CECs, AMR and plastic pollution, nutrient and chemical pollution, impact of climate change. Some standards should be updated in line with the new available technology and techniques (eg. E.coli). DIGITAL WATER Digitalisation can offer several benefits in term of quality and quantity check, particularly if the legislation intends the scope of “bathing waters”, while reinforcing communication to citizens through early warning systems, immediately transmitting a warning to bathing sites downstream of a river or nearby in the case of a coastal site, for instance: - Digital water can contribute to monitor additional substances and pollutions in line with the emerging challenges. - Facilitate the communication of the monitoring information to the public HYBRID GREY-GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Paired with the objectives of the biodiversity strategy and also the climate action plan, the hybrid Grey-green infrastructure can contribute to improve biodiversity and bathing water management while bringing back nature in our urban areas or reinforcing the protections of natural areas. HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARD A WATER-SMART SOCIETY A comprehensive approach of this legislation not only with the water framework directive should be considered. The urban wastewater treatment directive and also the Industrial Emission Directive (but not only) can contribute indirectly to the objectives of the new directive. Moreover, inclusive governance should also be considered to support the implementation of the directive and a better communication with citizens.
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Response to Europe’s digital decade: 2030 digital targets

8 Mar 2021

Water Europe (WE) welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to establish a Communication on a Europe’s digital decade: 2030 targets. In this context, the European Commission shall consider digital water to achieve a Water-Smart Society. It its Water Vision, WE has set out a blueprint for a society in which the true value of water is recognized and realized, and all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of water are avoided, water and resource loops are largely closed to foster a circular economy and optimal resource efficiency, while the water system is resilient against the impact of climate change events. Particularly, WE strongly supports digital water, a concept “Based on the predicted development of a world where all people, “things” and processes are connected through the “Internet of Everything”, leading to capillary networks and sensors, meters and monitoring of the water system all the way along to the individual user, as such generating large amounts of valuable data (big data) for innovative Decision Support and Governance systems.” (WE vision page 15). WE already provides some recommendations in the context of the post-COVID-19 recovery (https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/A-Water-Smart-Society-for-a-post-covid19-recovery-plan.pdf) to shape its smart future. In line with the 5 identified objectives Digital water can contribute to: • Ensure sustainable and efficient water management through “Digital water”, with positive impact on quality, quantity, pollution and the environment, particularly through the development and deployment of intelligent equipment and sensors, smart networks and advanced data analytics. It will allow a much smarter, more dynamic and adaptable near real-time water allocation management and governance system that is robust, more resilient and less vulnerable against external events. • Support digitalisation to achieve the green transition, reduce energy demands and CO2 emissions. The deployment of integrated solutions and technologies to create tomorrow’s European resilient and smart cities reduces pressure on municipal budgets and on resources, while mitigating and adapting to climate change. • Meet high standards to foster the resilience of water-related infrastructure and therefore strengthen Europe's position in the global market. Digital water contributes to our autonomy and competitiveness reducing strategic water-related risks. • Improve the return on investment. Digitalisation is a reduction of operational expenses for municipalities as water treatment and sanitation account in average for between 30-50% of municipal energy bills. • Foster transparency and democratic debate on water. Digital Water enables better disclosure of data, for example on water quantity and quality, which will enhance transparency. Paired with the development of Water Oriented Living Labs, digital water can improve democratic debate on water challenges. • Cybersecurity also needs to be addressed in Europe to protect our infrastructure from cyberterrorism. In the context of terrorism and its will to have a strong industrial strategy, Europe must increase cybersecurity to avoid unwilling access, change or destruction of sensitive information and uncontrolled action in normal business processes. These objectives must be coupled with investment in people to allow them to acquire the relevant digital skills. SIRA link: https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Water-Europe-SIRA.pdf
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Meeting with Laure Chapuis (Cabinet of Commissioner Kadri Simson)

9 Feb 2021 · Water framework Energy policy and impact on water RED and EED review

Meeting with Florika Fink-Hooijer (Director-General Environment)

19 Jan 2021 · Water immersion

Meeting with Carlos Morais Pires (Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel)

18 Nov 2020 · Exchange on the importance of water for youth and R&I.

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

13 Nov 2020 · European Green Deal initiatives and the importance of water related measures

Response to EU Action Plan Towards a Zero Pollution Ambition for air, water and soil

20 Oct 2020

Water Europe welcomes the Zero Pollution Strategy roadmap objectives, particularly considering the importance to “prevent, remedy, restore and monitor” the pollution in water (https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/A-Water-Smart-Society-for-a-post-covid19-recovery-plan.pdf). As expressed in our position on the COVID19, a sustainable recovery cannot forgo water-related challenges. Likewise, we strongly support the holistic approach of this strategy which will contribute to achieve a Water-Smart Society. Given the close interdependence of challenges (diseases, biodiversity loss, energy and water efficiency, …) this approach, and chiefly the coordination with the revision of the UWWTD and IED, is key to tackle pollution in water. Our approach also supports an effective implementation of the SDGs (https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/WE-UNESCO-publication_online_2020_updated.pdf) – including in water diplomacy – in order to leave no one behind. With a structural and cross-cutting value-chain, the water sector can contribute to reduce the often-unequal impacts of pollution on different groups of citizens. The necessity of achieving a Water-Smart Society converges with the objectives of the Zero Pollution Strategy, pushing towards a more complete implementation of quality standards, diffuse and continuous monitoring, source control measures and extraction of valuable substances in water. Therefore, we agree with: 1. Focusing on measures to reinforce the implementation of the Water-related standards such as the ones in the WFD and daughters’ provisions (https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/Business-statement_Water-is-everyones-business.pdf) to tackle pollution as earliest possible stage by reclaiming value or restoring the right quality of water. 2. Improving the existing health and environment acquis, particularly through not only the update of the UWWTD and the IED for better considering the value of water, but also the support to circular economy to fully exploit the value in water embedded in water streams (nutrients, substances, energy…) 3. Improving the governance of pollution policies. In its vision, Water Europe supports the implementation of the polluter-pays principle, echoing notably with the challenge of Contaminants of Emerging concerns and micro-plastics. 4. Driving societal change to more sustainable and digital behaviours should be done within Water-oriented living Labs (https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Atlas-of-the-EU-Water-Oriented-Living-Labs.pdf). However, specific attention should be reinforced towards the following: • Digital water: digitalisation of the water sector can, among other things, contribute to better monitoring, preventing and reporting processes in Europe and leverage the investments for a more sustainable economy. • The role of Research and Innovation: WE encourage the support to technological and non-technological innovative solutions to tackle pollution, as the Water4all call from Water JPIs (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/research_and_innovation/funding/documents/ec_rtd_he-partnerships-water4all.pdf). • Better visibility of water efficiency within our economy to raise awareness on the importance of water for the whole society. We envision a society in which the true value of water is recognised and realised by all the components of our society, and all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of water are avoided.
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Meeting with Roberta Torre (Cabinet of Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni)

20 Oct 2020 · The meeting focused on the various water-related challenges as well as the consequences of water crises on the societies and economies in the EU.

Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Commissioner) and

2 Oct 2020 · To discuss how the water sector can contribute to the achievement of the Green Deal objectives.

Meeting with Natalie Pauwels (Cabinet of Commissioner Janez Lenarčič)

29 Sept 2020 · Meeting with Partners for Resilience - Humanitarian Aid, NEXUS

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

22 Sept 2020 · Water agenda and agriculture.

Meeting with Natalie Pauwels (Cabinet of Commissioner Janez Lenarčič)

11 Sept 2020 · Water in Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection

Response to Long term vision for rural areas

9 Sept 2020

Water Europe welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to create a debate on the future of rural areas and their place in our society. This European commission must not omit water as a key sector for ecosystem services in rural areas. This sector needs strong investment and can be source of benefits for rural areas and their inhabitants. The Business opportunities linked to the water-food-energy- health nexus can support the attractiveness of these areas and should be include in the scope of this initiative. Water is a cross-cutting topic that could bridge the different challenges (ageing, biodiversity, green jobs, sustainability, demography and democracy…) Moreover, the sustainability of the food systems is very much related to the rural areas sustainable management, that should lead to the protection of the natural environment and its ecosystem services. Our food system faces multiple challenges, particularly: feed a growing population within the context of climate change and less population in rural areas. Rural areas depopulation is also linked to other factors such as digital gap but also degradation of ecosystems and, at least in the case of water scarcity countries, to the low availability of water which is being a limited factor for growth. For encouraging the rural renaissance, the availability of goods needed for economic growth such as good quality water and the good ecological status of surface and groundwater waters is key. Agrofood industry is characterised by being water intensive, 70% of the global freshwater withdrawals come from the food industry (FAO, 2016), and by generating large amounts of waste and wastewater. Therefore water management is a core challenge and opportunities for the future of rural areas. Water Europe is an association which is the voice and promoter of water-related innovation and RTD in Europe, representing the whole diversity of the water value chain. WE has the ambition to realize a (European) Water-Smart Society in which enough water is available for all the different uses (industrial, agricultural, domestic) while we reduce the impact on the environment and our fresh water resources. We strive to increase coordination and collaboration between the companies and stakeholders of the sector to enhance the performance and competitiveness in Europe through a sustainable and inclusive way. We strongly support the involvement of EU citizens and encourage the EU to work on the format of the Water oriented Living Labs in rural areas as part of the solution for the future. Water-Oriented Living Labs (WoLLs: https://watereurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Atlas-of-the-EU-Water-Oriented-Living-Labs.pdf) are defined as: “real-life, water oriented and demo-type and platform-type environments with a cross-sec-tor nexus approach, which have the involvement and commitment of multi-stakeholders (including water authorities) and a certain continuity, and provide a “field lab” to develop, test, and validate a combination of solutions as defined in the SIRA, which include technologies, their integration as well as combination with new business models and innovative policies based on the value of water. The effectiveness of this tool is already demonstrated and needs to be scale up across Europe as the WoLL RichWater stressed (RichWater: www.richwwater.eu)
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Response to Revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

8 Sept 2020

Water Europe (WE) welcomes the impact assessment which fits with our vision to achieve a Water-Smart Society. There is a strong need to update the UWWTD to address today’s challenges in line with the Green Deal and the digitalisation of Europe. A well-designed UWWTD must consider circular economy, the emerging Internet of Things, and new technological developments not only within an energy-driven approach but also within a resource-oriented one. This holistic approach is the key driver to energy-saving, resource recovery and water reuse. Coupled with the water reuse regulation, the revision of the UWWTD can particularly support the development of reuse processes in the water sector from urban areas to tackle climate change. In addition, the document does not enough stress the opportunities of: - Digitalising the water sector for monitoring, reporting, remaining sources of pollution, water and energy efficiency. Contaminants of Emerging Concern should be addressed in the revision of the UWWTD. - Considering the full options to manage sewage sludges, including the merge of the directives and also other outcomes than only the fertilizer opportunities. - Nature based solutions in line with the biodiversity strategy, sustainable tourism and the necessity to tackle pollution from storm, small agglomerations below 2 000 pe and individual systems. - The need that Europe leaves no one behind with the provision of sanitation. WE is an association which is the voice and promoter of water-related innovation and RTD in Europe, representing the whole diversity of the water value chain. WE has the ambition to realize a (European) Water-Smart Society in which enough water is available for all the different uses (industrial, agricultural, domestic) while we reduce the impact on the environment and our fresh water resources. We strive to increase coordination and collaboration between the companies and stakeholders of the sector to enhance the performance and competitiveness in Europe through a sustainable and inclusive way.
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Meeting with Wioletta Dunin-Majewska (Cabinet of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira)

27 Aug 2020 · Discussion on the ways stakeholders representing the water protecting and saving organisations can influence policy choices

Response to Enhancement of European policy on critical infrastructure protection

31 Jul 2020

Water Europe highlights that the European Directive 2008/114/EC on protection of critical infrastructures has not included the water supply sector as a critical infrastructure, although Member States recognise that the water industry is vital to the overall EU and national security, essential to any other economic sector and social functions. Its vulnerability to man-made and natural disasters represents a serious threats to European economy and the social stability, considering that 95% of the global economy and 3 out of 4 jobs depend on water availability. By its nature, the water systems are at the heart of interdependencies between sectors such as communication and energy and can be a strong vector and multiplicator of cascading effects of the current and emerging threats. The European Commission should not exclude the water sector when addressing the increasing cross-sectoral interdependencies, but rather build a systemic mechanism of protection that should include water to achieve and maintain high level resilience of the critical infrastructures chain. In addition, new investments in the water sector are required to upgrade the infrastructures to make them resilient in the aforementioned chain against known and emerging risk such as: • cyber-physical and terrorists attacks, and other man-made threats that are dramatically increasing and require the deployment of further resources (i.e. the H2020 STOP-IT project) to protect the water system as a key component of the vital functioning of our society,. • natural disasters that can severely disrupt the water distribution and treatments systems with immense impacts on water security for all society and on the environment. For instance, the GDP losses of the EU were EUR 150 billion due to floods between 2002-2013
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Meeting with Astrid Dentler (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica), Deša Srsen (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica), Ivo Belet (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica) and AquaFed - The International Federation of Private Water Operators

22 Jul 2020 · EU Water Alliance

Response to Farm to Fork Strategy

14 Mar 2020

Water Europe welcomes this initiative of the European commission to contribute to the EU Green Deal towards a climate neutral EU. Agricultural production both contributes to climate change and is affected by climate change. In recent years, the sector has been increasingly affected by extreme weather events, leading to reduced yields (EEA, 2017). The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in agriculture is a primary cause of diffuse pollution, one of the main environmental pressures from agriculture and on water, which is a key element in the full agri-food production cycle. Water pollution from agriculture and the extreme climate events such as floods and droughts affect both water and food production security and are the main threats for our future agriculture. Moreover, the strong connections with the other plans and strategies of the UE demonstrates the importance of considering water as a common denominator to make the Green Deal successful and cope with global water scarcity and crisis. In a scenario that forecast an increasing and unsustainable demand for water in the next decades, Water Europe supports the importance to optimise the use of water in the agriculture by:  drastically reduce the water pollution  rationalise and reduce the use of freshwater and  boost water recycling/reuse/cascading/symbiosis and promote synergies between the rural, urban and industrial areas to effectively turn competition in a rationale and sustainable collaboration for utilisation of our water resources. For example, an optimal irrigation strategy through a digitalisation of our agriculture is needed to provide nutritious, affordable and safe food. (WE SIRA page 20 and 29) Moreover, the resilience of our agriculture against droughts and floods needs investments and an evolution of our agriculture. The Farm to Fork strategy should encourage investments in hybrid-grey infrastructures, nature-based solutions and diffuse digitalisation of the water systems. Through an inclusive dialogue to adapt and improve the water governance, infrastructure and systems to climate change and create a systemic management and decision-making process for resilience (SIRA page 32-35). Therefore, Water Europe supports the creation of rural Water oriented Living Labs to create a Water Smart Society, in which the true value of water is recognised and realised, and all available water sources are managed in such a way that water scarcity and pollution of groundwater are avoided, by applying the technological and non-technological innovations developed in line with the Farm to Fork strategy and Green Deal targets. The main characteristics are (SIRA page 42-44):  targeted at reducing the impact of agriculture on over-abstraction of ground water and overuse of surface water,  using advanced sensor systems and monitoring technologies, including Earth observation, to obtain detailed and real-time insights in water use,  environmental regulations and standards, eg. For controlling agro-chemical use,  novel green-agricultural technologies to reduce water use for crop production,  application of new economic instruments towards more efficient use of water;  integration of agriculture, industry, nature representatives into novel participatory governance models,  Spatial integrated planning including buffering of water. To deepen the above cited topics, please read our Vision and SIRA https://watereurope.eu/publications/
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Response to EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy

20 Jan 2020

Climate change has high impacts on ecosystems and society and is largely mediated through water, thus increasing the already significant effect related to water insecurity. Water is the critical natural resource which underpins all social and economic activity: without water, cities stop to function, economic activity breaks, green lands become infertile. As demand rises and competition for this precious resource increases, all users across the planet can no longer guarantee uninterrupted access to water supplies and therefore the water-related benefits such as agriculture, energy and health. Preserving biodiversity and the ecosystems can definitely help to achieve sustainable water security and achieve a Water-smart Society, as outlined in the Water Europe Vision. The loss and degradation of biodiversity generate impacts on human well-being. The benefits gained from ecosystems can be conserved by preserving the loss of biodiversity. Services such as the supply of fresh water and food, the reduction of risk from flooding and drought, the cycling of nutrients and the removal of contaminants from water, the mitigation of the climatic extreme events and the importance for cultural and recreational activities can all be compromised as biodiversity is lost, and water is definitely required to support biodiversity. The European Green Deal for the European Union and its citizens issued by the European Commission highlights the biodiversity as one of the main policy areas to enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from the sustainable green transition. In this background, the Water Europe Vision entails that the majority of European cities, regions, and countries needs to develop policies and implement plans for climate change adaptation and mitigation across the various economic sectors. This requires effective water management by integrating, restoring and redeveloping the natural environment and preserve the biodiversity. The strategy for EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 should take into account systems and actions to combine smart water management and preservation of nature, integrating natural systems as an opportunity to redevelop natural areas and restore biodiversity within an integrated grey and green - natural and engineered - water infrastructure.
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Response to European Partnership for Key Digital Technologies

27 Aug 2019

Despite the extreme need for and reliance on water, the water infrastructure and systems in EU and worldwide are not aligning speed with the rising demand for water. Modernization of water systems, in both highly-developed economies and developing countries, is urgently needed to ensure safe, reliable water supply. In the industrial sector, water is an essential resource in the production of goods including food, energy, and manufacturing. Cities are extremely dependent on reliable water supply; food security is strictly associated to reliable water allocation in the rural areas. Water supply must be reliable and consistent to support growing financially sustainable investments in economic activities and to ensure political and social stability. To face water challenges in line with the SDGs, Paris Agreement and UN climate conference digital technology is the key enabler to dramatically improve water-smart management, strengthen effective Decision Support Systems and the understanding of the true value of water by water users and suppliers. The future-proof European model developed by Water Europe for a water-smart society entails a paradigm shift in the way our future society can be organised and managed with regard to water: in this regard, digital conversion of the water sector is an imperative need. In addition, new governance models can be successfully supported by digital solutions, leading to the rational use of multiple waters to minimise the impact on freshwater resources. The European society, based on the climate-neutral circular economy concept, can be enabled to manage the multiple waters and optimise water management to provide the right water for the right purpose to the right users in a synergetic combination of smart treatments, cascading, reuse, and recycling, only massively developing, deploying and bring to market innovative digital technologies, as highlighted in the attached Water Europe Vision, which clearly states that digital solutions will be required to attain the future water-smart society. At the same time, digital water services must be safe, based on reliable, efficient data systems that safeguard data integrity, privacy and safety and protected from cybersecurity threats. This requires new strong partnerships to develop further innovations actions in fields such as cloud computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and the Internet of Things, which are the basis of the EU competitiveness in the world. Success in addressing global water challenges through digitization will require not only innovative technologies but also innovative partnerships and advanced vision. These relationships will benefit from breaking out of silo mentality and will allow expansion into innovative and dynamic business models and new funding strategies. To this end, the water sector and the European climate-neutral circular society will greatly benefit from a new collaborative partnership for key digital technologies in the framework of the upcoming R&I program Horizon Europe.
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Response to Multiannual Financial Framework: Specific Programme implementing the 9th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

3 Aug 2018

In our opinion and according to the WssTP Vision, the next FP9 should foster research and innovation actions, particularly in the PILLAR 2 GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS, to support a future-proof European model for a water-smart society. To this end, WssTP proposes four key components to carry out research and development, but more importantly to bring RTD results to market and achieve systemic innovation to our water system: 1. The value of water: developing a water-smart economy using advanced solutions and a systems approach to eco-innovation, a state-of-the-art water infrastructure, a circular water economy, as well as new economic models based on the true value of water, in order to increase rational use and reuse. It also entails valorising the value in water, meaning extracting and exploiting relevant resources such as nutrients, minerals, metals and also the energy that are embedded in used water streams. Innovation will enable cost-effective solutions that open up new multi-billion euro markets for European industries towards the valorisation of secondary raw materials and energy; 2. New digital and water technologies: deploying advanced digital solutions for water in a capillary network of sensors in water distribution systems, capturing and using this new information to manage them in real time. Developing advanced water treatment solutions to achieve a good status of European water bodies, enabling synergies between centralised and decentralised treatments, as well as economically viable extraction and valorisation of valuable substances and energy in water. Using advanced materials in water infrastructure and improving solutions to reduce water use in agriculture. Our emerging and enabling technologies will empower Europe to reach previously unimaginable levels of control, manageability, and valorisation of water in our society; 3. A hybrid grey and green water infrastructure: rethinking and redesigning water distribution and water service systems into a high-tech, human-built water infrastructure integrated into a nature-based ecosystem. This combines centralised and decentralised water treatments, leading to reduced water loss, increased water reuse, optimising the exploitation of alternative water sources in a circular economy, and strengthening resilience against climate change events, especially droughts and floods; 4. Enabling inclusive multi-stakeholder governance: new governance models that manage the availability of water for all users and sectors (industry, agriculture, cities, waterborne transport) and multiple purposes, based on understanding the true value of water, and using fit-for-purpose, adaptive and evolving economic and governance mechanisms, supported by advanced near real-time decision support systems and information exchange at all levels. WssTP SIRA is attached for further details and reference. Water should be one of the leading factors for the sustainable development of the European society and well recognised in any of the challenges. In a future world in which the population will grow to almost 10 billion people, the number of water users dramatically increases, and our daily life, health, wellbeing and economies essentially depend on water availability, scarcity is not an option. WssTP proposes also a Water Mission in the next FP9: This mission will demonstrate, by 2030, proven pathways for providing water security in Europe and beyond for all uses and users, including nature. Securing water means that all water demands can be sustainably met. The mission integrates all technical and non-technical interventions that are necessary to improve the efficient use of water, to improve water governance, and to protect key infrastructures. This holistic innovation will furthermore integrate solutions for urban areas, rural areas and economic sectors, to contribute to the achievement of the water-related Sustainable Development Goals.
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Response to Fitness Check of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive

17 Nov 2017

The WFD serves as an international reference case for the protection and enhancement of fresh water resources. Since the WFD was adopted, however, the world has changed and the awareness of the value of water for our society and economy has steadily increased. Important developments that a review of the WFD should consider, include amongst others the digitalization of our society, new technological developments, an increased awareness about the impact of human behaviour on our environment and the impact of climate change. The digitization of the water sector will generate large amounts of data that will enable water actors to better govern and manage water. To protect our fresh water resources in an effective way while at the same time making sure that enough water of the right quantity remains available for all its societal uses (industry, agriculture, domestic, and nature), we need to leverage on new technological capabilities and societal awareness. We also need to guarantee long term resilience against climate events, and economic sustainability of our water system. A well-designed WFD that puts the rights drivers and incentives in place, can greatly contribute to realising a 'European Water-Smart Society' (Cfr: WssTP Water Vision) that: 1. Reduces the impact of European society on our natural water resources by 50% by 2030; 2. Delivers the true value of water for our society, the economy, and the environment; 3. Boosts the European water market, support job creation and sustainable growth of European societies, as well as the global competitiveness of European water industries; 4. Secures society’s long-term resilience, stability, sustainability and security regarding water. RECOMMENDATION: Based on new societal and technological developments, described above, WssTP recommends that innovative business and economic models, governance models, and the digital agenda for the water and water-using sectors should be included in both the online public consultation and in the European Water Conference.
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Response to Evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC (UWWTD)

9 Nov 2017

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) has overall been very successful in significantly improving the scale and quality of waste water treatment in Europe. The UWWTD therefore, serves as an international reference case in the global effort to increase waste water treatment coverage – exemplified by the UN Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.3.1. However, since the UWWTD was adopted more than 25 years ago, several developments have taken place that provide both threats and opportunities in relation to waste water. The need to emphasise the value of water becomes especially clear, when we look at the emerging challenges over the upcoming decades they include amongst others: • ever more frequent and intense droughts and floods, • the rise of new pollutants, • increasing water scarcity, • the need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. At the same time a number of societal changes of taken place such as the development towards a circular economy, the emerging Internet of Things, and new technological developments, particularly in relation to waste water treatment that can have an impact on the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and consistency of the UWWTD. A well-designed UWWTD that puts the rights drivers and incentives in place, can greatly contribute to realising a 'European Water-Smart Society' (Cfr: WssTP Water Vision) that: 1. Reduces the impact of European society on our natural water resources by 50% by 2030; 2. Delivers the true value of water for our society, the economy and the environment; 3. Boosts the European water market as well as the global competitiveness of European water industries; 4. Secures society’s long-term resilience, stability, sustainability and security regarding water. SYNERGIES WITH OTHER OBJECTIVES: CIRCULAR ECONOMY As already described by the European Commission in the “EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy”, water is an important element in the circular economy. The imminent and growing challenge of water stress, already affecting at least 11% of the European population and 17% of EU territory , significantly increase the need to reuse water, including from treated waste water. The Value of Water can be further boosted by turning waste water treatment installations into waste water refineries that capture and exploit the Value IN water, e.g. nutrients, minerals, metals and energy in waste water, which currently remains unexploited. GROWTH AND JOBS The waste water management sector already represents more than 600,000 jobs in the EU , and as the interest from key export markets like India (India-EU Water Partnership) and China (China Europe Water Platform ) indicates the export potential is significant. By showcasing how waste water can move from being a burden to becoming an asset, the UWWTD can support significant export potential for the European water sector. Clearly to capture these opportunities innovations will be needed in the water market. DIGITAL AGENDA In line with the Internet of Things, or Internet of Everything concept also the water sector may be expected to be digitalised to a much higher extent, by deploying large number of sensors throughout the water network, up to the individual user will produce large amounts of data. Proper use of the data can enable water actors to better govern and manage used water. RECOMMENDATIONS: Based on new societal and technological developments, and potential synergies described above, WssTP recommends that the following elements are included in the evaluation: - The development of the circular economy including the potential for reuse and recycling of water and to capture the value in water (e.g. nutrients, minerals, metals and energy); - Encourage the use and implementation of new and innovative technologies, and business and governance models. - The opportunities offered by a further digitalization of the water sector
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Meeting with Davinia Wood (Cabinet of Commissioner Christos Stylianides)

30 Oct 2015 · Humanitarian Aid

Meeting with Mathieu Fichter (Cabinet of Commissioner Corina Crețu) and European Water Association

16 Jun 2015 · Cohesion Policy support to water management

Meeting with Shane Sutherland (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

5 May 2015 · Water