A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s Water Resources

What is the Blueprint? The Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources will present the policy response to the challenges presented in the State of Water Report, long-term aim: to ensure availability of good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use. Closely linked to EU 2020 Strategy and Resource Efficiency Roadmap.

Why a Blueprint? Improving the implementation of current EU water policy Fostering the integration of water and other policies When necessary, seeking the completion of the current policy framework

Synthesis of policy recommendations building on on-going assessments Impact Assessment « Fitness Check» EU water policy instruments Outlook of sustainability and vulnerability of EU water resources Policy Options Nov 2012 Blueprint To Safeguard EU Waters Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Report on 2009 River Basin Management Plans Review Water Scarcity & Droughts Strategy Review Water Scarcity & Droughts Strategy Review Water Scarcity & Droughts Strategy Review Water Scarcity & Droughts Strategy Review Water Scarcity & Droughts Strategy Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation

Assessment River Basin Management Plans: Addressed in the previous presentation 5

Review water Scarcity and Droughts policy Communication 2007 and follow-up: Council conclusions - review & further develop WS&D policy by 2012 EP report – new initiatives incl. pilot projects preparatory actions Annual follow up reports GAP Analysis Overview of problem & existing measures Identification of gaps Proposal of new measures Assessment of Impact of new measures In-depth studies on: Water Supply Infrastructure Buildings Agriculture Indicators for water stress and water efficiency

Climate Change Vulnerability & Adaptation Thorough assessment of drivers of vulnerability and potential adaptation measures at EU level in the ClimWatAdapt project. Combination of 4 socio-economic and 11 regional climate scenarios On-going in-depth assessment of effectiveness of specific measures (natural water retention, water efficiency)

Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy Part of European Commission Smart Regulation policy Objective: Assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency of the EU freshwater policy Process:Scoping study, Stakeholder and Public consultation Scope Water Framework Directive Groundwater Directive Directive on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) Urban Waste Water Directive Nitrates Directive Floods Directive Water Scarcity & Droughts White Paper on Adaptation Most important conclusions: Water policy is adequate but improvements in implementation of are required Need for a stronger focus and tools for tackling the problems of water scarcity and droughts Ecosystem services not systematically addressed within water policy More coherence needed with the CAP, regional, renewable energy and transport policies Potential for better synergies with chemical, pesticides, pharmaceuticals policies on issues such as risk assessment methods. Improved analysis of the costs and benefits of water protection measures is needed

Options selection Options in public consultations are NOT the Commission preferred ones: a decision is still to be made and this is why we consult! EU added value, no ‘one size fits all’ No overhaul of the WFD but first identification of elements that can feed into the 2019 review Options are not mutually exclusive: they can be combined and graduated over time The impact assessment will focus on a more limited set of options

Next Steps 15/3 – 7/6: 12-weeks public consultation on Policy Options May: Innovation Partnership on Water + Fitness Check Discussion options with stakeholders at 3rd EU Water Conference on 24-25 May 7/7: Informal Council in Cyprus November: Publication Blueprint

Improving water management Problem 1:Water balances and adequate water allocation at river basin level Problem 2: Droughts Problem 3:Land use impacts and in particular agriculture's impacts

Improving water efficiency Problem 4: Water efficiency in buildings Problem 5: Leakage in water infrastructure Problem 6: The lack of common EU standards for waste water re-use

Metering, Pricing, Cost-benefits Problem 7: Absence of metering and illegal abstraction Problem 8: Water pricing does not provide adequate incentives to water efficiency Problem 9: Costs and benefits are not properly understood. Lack of a methodology for recovery of environmental and resource costs

Governance, Knowledge, Global Problem 10: Governance of water and sectoral policies is fragmented,lack of capacity and resources Problem 11: Insufficient sharing of compatible data and information between MS, EU bodies, 3rd countries Problem 12: Estimated global 40% supply shortage by 2030