The resolution adopted on 7 May 2025 by the European Parliament provides a solid foundation for the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy expected by the European Commission in June. It rightly reaffirms that access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that must be unequivocally ensured and marks a step toward a more coordinated EU approach to addressing increasing water challenges.

We particularly support the European Parliament’s strong endorsement of the precautionary, control-at-source, and polluter-pays principles. These are essential tools to prevent pollution, ensure environmental protection, and allow for a fair cost distribution. The inclusion of restoring the natural water cycle as a central pillar of water resilience is also welcome, as is the call to mainstream the water dimension across internal and external EU policies.

We strongly support the resolution’s recognition of the need to phase out of PFAS linked to harmful effects on human health and the environment beyond consumer goods where safer alternatives exist. The resolution acknowledges that PFAS pollution poses a substantial technical and financial burden on health systems and on water service providers while jeopardising applications of water and sewage sludge reuse.

The Parliament’s call for a more sustainable and competitive farming model and the recognition of the potential for nutrient recovery are also both welcome. In addition, the resolution rightly notes the important cross-cutting role of nature-based solutions, which public water operators have long championed as efficient and cost-effective tools to enhance water resilience.

Finally, the proposal to establish a separate and dedicated fund for water resilience in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), along with a stronger role for the European Investment Bank (EIB), is a vital step in ensuring long-term investment in public water services. The EIB’s technical expertise and long-term, low-interest financial instruments are particularly well suited to supporting water infrastructure projects.

We strongly regret, however, the call to conduct a new assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme (EPR) in the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) on the pharmaceutical sector. This would introduce legal and financial uncertainty, which would delay the rollout of quaternary treatment necessary to remove micropollutants and slow the timely implementation of the recast Directive.