The European Committee of the Regions adopted on the 3rd of March, during its plenary session, its opinion on the European Water Resilience Strategy presented by the European Commission in June.

This report, “Turning the Tide – Cities and Regions for Water Resilience”, is a strong opinion that highlights the need for a structural change of paradigm in European water policy. A special thanks to President Kata Tüttő and Vice-President Juanma Moreno, co-rapporteurs of the file, for their leadership on this important report.

Three aspects of the report we especially welcome:

• The strong need to support local and regional authorities and public water operators in the implementation of water-resilient policies, with the creation of a solidarity mechanisms supporting regions that are most exposed to climate change.
• The upholding of the existing European water acquis, including the polluter-pays principle introduced by the Water Framework Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
• The need to preserve water as a high-quality and affordable common good, whose access is a fundamental human right.

This report not only acknowledges the multidimensional challenges we face in Europe, but also provides the ideas and the tools to definitively turn the tide.

Read the full opinion here.

Photo credits: © European Union