EU launches stakeholder platform to turn water resilience strategy into action

Brussels, 21 September 2026

More than 50 high-level experts from across the EU water sector gather in Brussels on 21 September for the first meeting of the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, launched by the European Commission together with the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions. The European Water Academy will hold its inaugural meeting in the afternoon.

The launch comes just days after President Ursula von der Leyen put water firmly on the EU’s political agenda in her State of the Union address, announcing a new European Water Initiative. Following a summer of extreme heat and record droughts, the need for water resilience in Europe has never been clearer. From farmers facing dwindling water resources to energy producers reducing output because of shortages, changes in the water cycle are affecting society and economy. The Commission is therefore stepping up efforts to ensure that no community is left behind and that the Water Resilience Strategy is implemented effectively and fairly across the Union.

Achieving Europe’s water resilience objectives by 2050 will require transformational change at every level and sector across society. Member States, cities and regions will all have a key role to play, alongside businesses, social partners, academia, young people, civil society and financial organisations. Europe’s strongest path forward remains the full implementation of the EU’s water legislation and the Water Resilience Strategy.

To support this effort, the new Platform will bring together a broad range of European stakeholders, including business representatives, water sector, civil society, regional and local authorities, and Member State governments. It will focus on selected priority areas linked to strengthening water resilience, including digitalisation and water efficiency, as well as opportunities to accelerate water reuse. The Platform will help identify barriers to implementation, propose practical solutions and ensure that the Strategy’s actions reflect a wide range of public and sectoral interests.

The Platform is being launched jointly by Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall, President of the European Economic and Social Committee Séamus Boland, and Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions Carlos Moedas. The three institutions will serve as co-chairs throughout the Platform’s mandate.

Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, said: “This summer of extreme heat and drought has underlined more than ever how fundamental our water agenda is to increase our resilience, and the renewed political ambition set out in the State of the Union confirms this. To advance our EU Water Resilience Strategy, we are launching two key initiatives today. By kicking off the European Water Academy and the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, we are gathering everybody around the table to turn our ambitions into actions and ensure that implementation delivers results.”

The establishment of a water stakeholder platform has been one of the key actions put forward by the EESC in its call for an EU Blue Deal back in 2023. EESC President Séamus Boland said:” Through the EU Blue Deal, the EESC has consistently championed water as a strategic priority for Europe. Today’s launch of the stakeholder platform is an important milestone in translating that ambition into action. As a farmer and as President of the EESC, I am proud to join forces with the European Commission and the CoR on an issue that touches every aspect of people’s lives. Together, we are building the partnerships needed to secure Europe’s water future.”

Carlos Moedas, Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions and Mayor of Lisbon, added that “Europe has set the direction on water resilience. Now the European Union must turn that strategy into investment, innovation and action on the ground, empowering cities and regions to protect citizens and build more resilient territories.”

The launch will be followed by the first meeting of the European Water Academy. A flagship action under the Water Resilience Strategy, the Academy aims to build on Europe’s world leading water sector and wide expertise, upscale Europe’s response to the water crisis, and boost preparedness and professional skills.

The EESC welcomes the creation of the Water Academy and advocates making it a coordinating platform that links existing institutions, training providers, utilities, industries, public authorities, trade unions and civil society organisations. By focusing on practical, operational skills, multidisciplinary learning and entry pathways for young people, the Academy can help address workforce challenges and support the upskilling and reskilling needed for the transition towards water resilience.

More information

Source – EESC

EU Commissioner Roswall’s speech at the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform

Brussels, 21 September 2026

“Check against delivery”

Distinguished guests, dear colleagues.

The Water Resilience Strategy is based on a simple but powerful principle – that we can never truly deliver water resilience unless every actor in the complex water ecosystem works together. That’s what today is about, and that’s what the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform is about. So, I am delighted to welcome to all to this official launch.

Let me start by congratulating all members and observers. Take a moment to look around this room. We have policy makers, NGOs, academia and research organisations, regional organisations, youth actors, financial institutions and industry. This room is overflowing with experience and expertise. It is more than an audience – it is a community of problem solvers, who you will work with for the next 5 years to support the implementation of the Water Resilience Strategy.

I also want to thank the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee for partnering with us to establish this Platform, and for hosting us today. I can think of no better partners than these two institutions that give voice to the regions, cities, industries, SMEs and civil society across Europe. The diversity in this room, this broad membership, and this knowledge, give me hope for the future.

This summer was a stark reminder that the time for action is now. One extreme heatwave after another, devastating wildfires and likely the most expansive drought in living memory. And the impact on our communities, on our economies, and on our precious biodiversity has been severe.

I will never forget the footage of terrified communities evacuated from their homes due to wildfires. Or the images of Europe’s great rivers, the arteries of our economy, running dry, with shipping reduced, power stations shut down, and algae blooming out of control. The lessons here are crystal clear – and we cannot ignore them.

We need a more proactive approach to water – and I was delighted that President Von der Leyen announced plans for a new Water Initiative just last week. We need a better understanding of water resilience and water systems in all their complexity. One that fully recognises the strong interdependence between Water – Energy – Food and Nature. One that comprehends the relationship between the environmental and the industrial ecosystems.

But it must be built on the clear understanding that water stewardship is not a matter for water managers only. It is the responsibility of every sector and every actor. And we need an approach guided by the Water Efficiency First principle. Our priority should always be to reduce demand for water where possible, then use it more efficiently, promote reuse, and only as a last resort consider additional supply.

Much of Europe is gripped by long-term, severe drought. That means that drought management plans should become a standard preparedness tool for all Member States. Soon, we will publish guidance on drought management, and our work to encourage water reuse and boost water efficiency, at home and internationally, is ongoing.

But drought and water shortages are only part of the picture. On top of climate extremes, pollution, overconsumption, ecosystem degradation, and inefficient use are putting even more pressure on our water cycle. To tackle these issues, the Water Resilience Strategy provides a common framework for action at EU, national and local levels. But of course, without close cooperation on implementation, the Strategy is nothing more than an ambition. We count on your input to turn this ambition into action.

The membership for this Platform was selected intentionally, and each stakeholder has a unique perspective to share. We have selected over 50 members, from civil society, the private sector, youth, financial institutions, research organisations, as well as regions and municipalities. Remove any one of those voices, and the picture would be incomplete. Diversity is the strength of this Platform – we have assembled not just the best minds in Europe, but the full spectrum of Europe’s water interests and ideas.

Among these voices, there is one we gave special attention to – youth. We need water resilience now! But we cannot keep borrowing it from future generations and leaving them to pay the debt. I have just welcomed my second grandchild into this world – so I feel strongly about this idea.

The principle of a generational contract sits at the heart of this Platform: we have reserved seats at the table for youth organisations. UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network, European Youth Parliament for Water, and CEJA (Young Farmers) —welcome! We are thrilled to have you on board. Please, make your voices heard – and I assure you that we are listening.

The people in this room have the expertise to make the Strategy work. You know where the barriers are. You know what works on the ground. And you know where actions can be adapted, strengthened or better implemented.

You have received a draft of the work programme, with a selection of actions that we need your guidance on. For example, how best to implement a Sponge Facility. How to support leak reduction and infrastructure modernisation across Europe, And how best to communicate the role of water pricing to promote water efficiency, cost recovery and the polluter pays principle.

Water resilience is an investment in our economy, our society, and our future. That investment needs to match the challenges ahead – and the cost of inaction is far higher in every sense. How will the EUl finance water resilience is a question I hear a lot – so let me share where we stand.

We have mobilised over three billion euros from the current EU cohesion policy for water, to be used by next year. The European Investment Bank has committed a further fifteen billion euros for water resilience between 2025 and 2027 and kickstarted its Sustainable Water Advisory Facility this year.

However, many of you will have heard me say that public funding alone is not enough. The urgency is too great and the needs to big. So, we have to generate private financing.

Our Industrial Accelerator is well on its way to making private capital more interested in water resilience; And last year, we published a roadmap, now under implementation, to enable nature credits that reward nature-positive action.

But we need more – and we need your help. Together we can overcome funding barriers at all levels and areas of implementation. And together, we can scale up funding for water projects across the EU.

But how you choose to approach these challenges is for you to decide – this is a consultative process to help us implement these actions – the path to get there is yours to set. I am looking forward to seeing which actions you choose to focus on, and how you feel they can best be operationalised.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our water is critical to every aspect of our society, economy and environment. And our water is in a critical state. We need to hold on to these two statements as we plan, collaborate, communicate, and work. I simply cannot overstate how urgent and important this task is.

But I have no doubt that, together, we can turn the tide on Europe’s water challenges. Because water resilience is a journey that requires us all to work together, public and private sector, central government and local governments, NGOs and academia, youth representatives.

The Commission plays an important role. And I assure you that I am fully committed to this fight. But you hold the keys to our success.

With your support, and with the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, we can deliver concrete, impactful actions on the ground. We can make every drop count in every corner of Europe. That work begins here, today.

DG Environment, together with our co-chairs, is here to facilitate the dialogue. So, bring your expertise and your different perspectives. Bring your willingness to listen to voices from outside your sector, And bring your sense of responsibility: to the people and sectors you represent, but also to those you do not. Because the benefits of water resilience must be shared by all.

This summer exposed our vulnerabilities. Our task now is to turn this vulnerability into preparedness. And preparedness leads to opportunity. Let’s seize it.

Welcome to the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform.

Source – EU Commission