EU Water Resilience Strategy: Speech by EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall

Dear Minister Walker,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am honoured to be here today at the representation of Baden-Württemberg, a little more than one month into my mandate as Commissioner for Environment, Water and a Competitive Circular Economy. I am very happy that President von der Leyen entrusted me with this portfolio.

I think we need a change of mindset in all these important policy areas. Both for consumers and businesses. I am 100 percent convinced that high environmental standards and business opportunities go hand in hand. And we need to make that paradigm shift happen now.

Today, I will focus on water. I am pleased that water is – for the first time – mentioned in the job title of a Commissioner.

Your region, Baden-Württemberg, is known for being at the forefront of innovation and for being home to some of Europe’s industrial crown jewels, as well as several leading universities.

Baden-Württemberg is also a leader in green technology, thanks to innovative companies and the proactive support of the state government. Your commitment to sustainable innovation is well-known.

It is also in your region that our water management challenges became drastically visible when the Rhine, one of the largest European rivers, was repeatedly running so short of water that shipping had to be suspended. I would therefore say that it’s a very strong manifestation of the importance of what I would like to address today: the need to build a water resilient society.

Water is not just a natural resource, it’s the basis of life. It is an ecosystem that hosts a large part of the planet’s life. It has infused our cultural and historical heritage, and it is a source of prosperity and wellbeing.

At a time when our security and preparedness is under growing pressure, it is worth remembering the role that water plays in making our societies function.

Water is probably the most precious and at the same time the most undervalued natural resource we have.

I think the time has come to firmly put water on the political agenda.

The success of Europe’s industrial and digital strategies depends on access to clean freshwater as much as it depends on access to affordable energy.

Let’s think about it: thermal power plants need billion litres of water annually for cooling. And hydrogen needs water as a feedstock. An average data centre of major tech companies, for instance, consumes 620 million litres of freshwater per year. Car manufacturers and chemical industry need significant amounts of water, too. Yet we all too often seem to take access to water for granted.

Water is too often still considered an infinite, and cost-free resource.

That mindset is no longer possible. Water is under so much stress due to mismanagement, pollution, and climate change, that we cannot continue with business as usual. At a global level, the situation is of great concern. According to the latest data, 2.2 billion people were without access to safely managed drinking water in 2022, and 42 percent of household wastewater was not safely treated before discharge.

Luckily, we are not in that situation in Europe. Member States have made progress in treating wastewater and in ensuring citizens’ access to clean drinking water, also thanks to EU legislation. But we still have a lot of work to do.

Across our Union, pollution of fresh and marine waters remains a very significant challenge.

Last year, the European Environmental Agency released an analysis of data which showed that only 37 percent of Europe’s surface water bodies achieved a good or high ecological status in 2021. And not even 30 percent achieved  good chemical status.

That’s a long way from what we were aiming for, and from what Member States have committed to achieve under the Water Framework Directive already by 2015.

This delay in reaching our objectives comes at a high cost. It makes our efforts more expensive, and they become harder to implement. And the longer we wait, the worse things will get, especially given the effects of climate change.

The continuing challenge of water quality is now also aggravated by significant threats to water quantity. Parts of the Mediterranean region has experienced a prolonged drought since 2021. And several EU Member States were affected by heavy rain and flash floods throughout much of 2024. Sadly, Germany has had its share of those tragic events too, including in your region. The cost of managing water-related disasters amounts to billions every year.

We know that those extreme events will occur more frequently in the future. We also know that they reinforce each other.

To give you just one example, healthy soils are our best reservoir for storing freshwater. Yet data from the EU Soil Observatory suggests that more than 60 percent of European soils are degraded. This risks becoming a huge challenge. Soils that are affected by drought will not be able to absorb water from heavy rainfalls. This increases the flood risk in low-lying areas, which is where towns and cities are often located.

This is a clear call for action.

It is now clear that the European Union and all its Member States and regions must do more to ensure the security of its water supply, reduce flood risks, and mitigate drought impacts. The cost of doing nothing is simply too high.

This is also a matter of crisis preparedness and overall resilience, as pointed out by Mr. Niinistö in his recent report.

This is also why President von der Leyen has made it a key political priority of this Commission to develop and implement a comprehensive Water Resilience Strategy.

The overall objective of this strategy, which I intend to present this year, will be manyfold:

• First, we need to preserve water quality and quantity in the EU and beyond;
• Second, we need to repair the broken water cycle and take a source-to-sea approach.
• Third, we need to enhance the competitive edge of our water industry, and address the root causes of the various water challenges I mentioned.
• Fourth, we need a bold vision for a water resilient society, backed up by clear actions.
• Fifth, we need to boost innovation and look at innovate financing solutions, including the mobilisation of private capital.

As I said earlier, we have a lot of EU-legislation. But the implementation is lagging. I come back to what I said earlier about a change of mindset. What we need is a new mindset to address these challenges and bring about real change.

The Strategy will also include recommendations on water efficiency and measures to strengthen water governance.

The Water Resilience Strategy will also help boost new business opportunities. We should be proud over the fact that 40 percent of the patents for water management are made in the EU. This is a huge competitive advantage.  We need to capitalize on this enormous innovation capacity and make sure those innovations benefit our companies and citizens.

This is a clear case where: what is good for nature is also good for business.

Integrating better water management into business operations will over time give significant benefits by gaining a competitive edge through cost savings, adoption of innovative technologies, and improved risk management.

The farming community can be part of the solution. If we look at agriculture, farmers can achieve major efficiencies by investing in water reuse. And other sectors, including energy and construction, also have strong potential for water savings.

Europe’s water sector has the potential to become a global leader in new technologies like sustainable desalination, more advanced water treatment processes, or AI-guided detection of leaks in public infrastructure. And I want our strategy to enable that.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Regions like Baden-Württemberg will play a crucial role in the new Water Resilience Strategy. Regions are often at the forefront of facing water-related challenges. But you are also often best placed to develop innovative solutions to address those challenges. The state government of Baden-Württemberg is particularly proactive in supporting green tech companies and promoting research and innovation in sustainable solutions, so I know that we will have a good partner to count on.

So, my call to you is short and simple: let’s work together. I count on you to support this process, to contribute to the development of our Water Resilience Strategy, to come with feedback and suggestions that will make our strategy work not just on paper, but on the ground, in the field, in the lab and in the factory. I also hope to visit your region in the not too distant future.

I would be more than happy to help put your region on the map of EU excellence in water innovation. I am proud to be the Commissioner for Water Resilience and together, we can ensure a more sustainable and resilient water future for Europe and beyond. Thank you.

Source – EU Commission