The MEP Water Group kicks off with a high-level event on Water Resilience in cooperation with the EESC
Brussels, 12 May 2025 – The MEP Water Group officially organised its first event of the legislature in cooperation with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) called “Water Challenges and Opportunities: Facing the Unknown”.
Held at the European Parliament, this first gathering brought together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to explore cross-sectoral solutions to Europe’s pressing water challenges. The event came in the wake of the European Parliament’s recently adopted report on the forthcoming EU Water Resilience Strategy—expected to be published in early June—and nearly three years after the launch of the Declaration for an EU Blue Deal, a milestone initiative that positioned water as a strategic standalone priority in EU policymaking.
The event was opened by Ms Hildegard Bentele, MEP and newly appointed Chair of the MEP Water Group, alongside Mr Pietro de Lotto, President of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) of the EESC. It featured the special screening of the documentary film “Facing the Unknown”. The film, based on the book Emergency Preparedness by Paul Rübig (Member of the EESC and former MEP) and Achim Kaspar, explored the complex interplay between water resilience, sustainable energy systems, and infrastructure preparedness in an age of accelerating uncertainty.
Parliament’s influence and strategic vision
In her keynote remarks, Ms. Pernille Weiss-Ehler, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall, confirmed that the Water Resilience Strategy will be published before the summer break. She underlined the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration and the EU’s ambition to become a global leader and living laboratory for water policy innovation.
“This Strategy recognises that solutions to one of the most pressing challenges of our time require joint efforts across sectors, institutions, and borders”
Speaking about the European Parliament’s recent report on the upcoming Strategy, Ms. Hildegard Bentele highlighted its significance for innovation:
“The importance of innovation cannot be overstated. We have the technologies […] and we must now focus on scaling them up and ensuring that these innovations reach the regions and communities that need them most.”
Preparing Europe for the unknown
Followed by a high-level panel featuring Ms. Bentele, Ms. Stine Bosse (MEP and Co-Chair of the MEP Water Group), Mr. Paul Rübig (EESC), and Mr. Alain Coheur (EESC). Moderated by Durk Krol, Executive Director of Water Europe, the discussion tackled critical questions around Europe’s readiness to face climate extremes, demographic pressures, water pollution, cyber threats to water infrastructure, and long-term investment frameworks.
The need for a separate fund dedicated to water-resilience within the upcoming MFF to strengthen water-resilience is also a fundamental condition for European prosperity and cohesion. In the same way, investment mechanisms are crucial, Ms. Stine Bosse stressed, as well as the urgency for national-level engagement:
“The Member states must deal with the water issue, and actually implement the legislation. Further, we need a common European investment framework.”
The panel also discussed the creation of a social framework for water pricing, ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation, while also supporting innovation and resilience-building investments across the EU.
This event of the 2024–2029 legislature reaffirms the MEP Water Group’s commitment to mainstreaming water policy across EU strategies and legislation. It served as a prelude to the European Water Resilience Strategy, setting the stage for sustained dialogue, collaboration, and leadership in building a water-smart Europe.
