The MEP Water Group
The MEP Water Group was initiated during the 7th legislature under the guidance of Richard Seeber, and then continued under the chairmanship of Esther de Lange during the 8th one. In the present legislature the Group is chaired by MEP Hildegard Bentele of the European People’s Party.
Water is a key but limited resource. Any event or action from individuals or companies will impact our access to water. With the increasing threat climate change, water risk management is one of the greatest challenges humanity faces today. Access to water and sanitation is a basic human right which impacts our health and any other aspects of our life. It is also a paramount element for biodiversity that we need to protect. It is only when one starts looking at the support water sector provides to all other sectors of society that one realises its quintessential position. The COVID19 crisis is a wake-up call for Europe which stress the importance to better consider water in our actions.
With the launch of the Green Deal, the European Commission intends to contribute to the efforts to tackle these challenges. This green growth strategy will mobilise at least €1 trillion in sustainable investments over the next decade with the goal of making Europe the world’s first climate-neutral bloc by 2050 [1]. This legislature is, therefore, an opportunity to secure multiple waters or multiple purposes and users. This “man on the moon for Europe’’ as Ursula von der Leyen called it, cannot be successful without a Water-Smart Society.
The MEP Water Group wants to play a key role in contributing to the future of the EU water policy by:
- Raising the importance of water for the European Union and beyond
- Making sure that Europe’s water resources are managed in a sustainable and equitable way to the benefit of the European economy and society.
- Encourage technological and non-technological innovations and research to tackle water-related challenges
- Promoting access to water for all.