| HIGHLIGHT
APE President welcomes Jessika Roswall's appointment as European Commissioner-designate and puts forward 3 key proposals to strengthen water resilience
In September, Ursula von der Leyen announced the composition of the new European Commission for the 2024-2029 mandate. APE President welcomes the appointment of Jessika Roswall as Commissioner-designate for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy and puts forward three concrete proposals for the mandate to strengthen our water resilience: 1) An EU Water Cohesion Fund, 2) A water sustainability check, 3) A stable market for water-derived resources. Read the full statement with elaborated proposals here.
| APE NEWS
APE convened a panel discussion on water resilience strategies at the European Commission’s Ad-hoc Task Group on water scarcity and droughts
As part of the 7th Meeting of the European Commission’s Ad-hoc Task Group on water scarcity and droughts, held on 2-3 October, the European Commission asked APE to convene a panel discussion on water resilience strategies. The panel featured speakers from our members, De Watergroep (Belgium) and Eydap (Greece), as well as water authorities from Catalunya (Spain) and Malta. To find out more about the discussion, visit our website.
High participation and rich debate at our joint webinar with JRC: Experiences on reusing wastewater for industrial applications | Presentations available
The webinar "Experiences on reusing wastewater for industrial applications," that APE co-organised with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), brought together leading experts to discuss and present practical applications of water reuse in the industrial sector, paving the way for more sustainable water management solutions. We heard experiences on water reuse for industry from SMAT (Italy), Uisce Éireann (Ireland), Kalundborg Forsyning (Denmark), and Hydria (Belgium). The presentations are available for download here. A full summary of the workshop will also be published shortly.
Not-for-profit Water Operators Partnership (WOPs) are key to achieving SDG6: they need stable funding to realise their potential
On 7 October, APE participated in the session "Regional Water Operators for Global Cooperation," held during the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, to discuss how WOPs and public-public cooperation can strengthen capacity in the water sector, contributing to the achievement of #SDG6. Organised by our member, Hamburg Wasser, and the Hamburg Ministry for Environment, Climate, Energy, and Agriculture, the event emphasised that stable funding, coming from a variety of sources - local, national, and transnational - is essential to ensure sustained efforts and the long-term commitment needed for effective WOPs. For more details on the session, visit our website.
Two APE members elected to GWOPA Steering Committee
Two members of APE have been elected to the Steering Committee of the Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), which oversees the governance of the UN-Habitat initiative supporting not-for-profit cooperation among water utilities. Armando Quazzo, CEO of SMAT (Turin), secured first place in the election for the Western Europe region, while Géza Csörnyei, CEO of Budapest Waterworks, has been elected as the representative for Eastern Europe.
| WATER ERASMUS EXCHANGES
APE organises Water Erasmus exchange and promotes best practice sharing between members
Water Erasmus is the flagship initiative of APE to promote the circulation of know-how and best practices in the water sector through staff exchange and ad-hoc workshops. Click here to learn more. The following technical workshop was organised in September:
- Water Erasmus technical workshop on social and environmental reporting: The workshop took place on 17 September, bringing together APE members to discuss the implications of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Following a presentation by the European Commission outlining the main requirements of the new Directive, APE members, De Watergroep (BE), PIDPA / AquaFlanders (BE) and SMAT (IT), shared their experiences, challenges, and best practices in aligning with these new standards, focusing on both social and environmental aspects of reporting. The presentations are accessible on the members-only section of our website and a detailed report from the workshop will be circulated shortly.
| MEMBERS NEWS
Uisce Éireann recognised for commitment to sustainability
Uisce Éireann (Ireland) has been awarded the Business Working Responsibly Mark from Business in the Community Ireland, verified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. This mark is Ireland's standard for Economic, Environmental, Social, and Governance (EESG) practices and is awarded to companies that demonstrate a best-in-class commitment to sustainability.
Major upgrade for Bergamo wastewater treatment plant underway, supported by Recovery Fund
Uniacque, the water operator of Bergamo, Italy, has launched a significant upgrade of the Bergamo wastewater treatment plant as part of Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The project aims to enhance water treatment capacity and infrastructure, contributing to sustainable water management in the region. The total investment amounts to 30 million euros, with 50% funded by the PNRR, highlighting the role of European recovery fund in advancing water infrastructure projects.
New floating barrier installed in Fresnes-Choisy to combat stormwater pollution
François-Marie Didier, President of SIAAP (Paris’ sanitation operator), and Béatrice Blanchet, Director of the Sanitation System and Network (DSAR), have inaugurated the 27th innovative floating barrier at Fresnes-Choisy to block stormwater. This installation plays a crucial role in intercepting over 1,000 tonnes of waste from the water each year. Learn more about this solution and its impact in the full article from Le Parisien here.
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