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EU Water Resilience Strategy

EU Water Resilience Strategy

The EU Water Resilience Strategy, adopted in June 2025, aims to secure Europe's water future by addressing water scarcity, pollution, and related risks. It focuses on restoring and protecting the water cycle, building a water-smart economy, and ensuring access to clean and affordable water for all. The strategy emphasizes the need for effective implementation of existing EU water legislation, promoting water efficiency, and fostering international cooperation on water management

The EU water resilience strategy is firmly rooted in the 2050 vision put forward by the EU at the 2023 UN Water Conference. Water resilience is a priority of the European Commission as President von der Leyen announced in the 2024-2029 Political Guidelines.

As from December 2025, the Commission will hold, every two years, a water resilience forum. This will bring together stakeholders and interested parties to take stock of progress made in enhancing water resilience across all levels of government, business and civil society, and monitoring implementation of this strategy.

The Commission will work towards water resilience by:

Restoring and protecting the water cycle

  • Restore and protect the water cycle from source to sea to ensure resilience against floods, droughts and water scarcity, by effectively implementing the already existing EU laws for freshwater.
  • Adopt water-smart practices and green infrastructure to improve water retention on land, prevent water pollution and tackle pollutants in drinking water, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Building a water-smart economy

  • Provide guidance on how to reduce water consumption and improve water efficiency in the EU by 10% by 2030.
  • Reduce leaks in pipes and modernise water infrastructure through public and private funding and take up of digital solutions.

Ensuring access to clean and affordable water for all

  • Raise public awareness by promoting education and the exchange of best practices in saving water, and support sound water pricing policies.
  • Reinforce the EU’s role in promoting water resilience worldwide through international partnerships and cooperation.

>>> Visit the EU Water resilience strategy webpage >>>

For more information see the 4 June 2025 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Water Resilience Strategy COM/2025/280 final