1. A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s waters
Jacques Delsalle, DG Environment

2. 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,
with the long-term aim to ensure sufficient availability of good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use.
The Blueprint is closely related to the EU 2020 Strategy and in particular to the recent Resource Efficiency Roadmap.
The Blueprint will be the water milestone on that Roadmap. However, the analysis underpinning the Blueprint will in fact cover a longer time span up to

3. Why a Blueprint?
Improving the implementation of current EU water policy
making full use of the opportunities provided by the current framework;
Fostering the integration of water and other policies
managing trade-offs through a better understanding of the costs and benefits of both economic activities and water resources management;
When necessary, seeking the completion of the current policy framework
Specially in relation to water efficiency and adaptation to climate change.

4. 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
the ongoing assessment of the River Basin Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive; the Fitness Check of EU water policy; the review of the policy on water scarcity and drought; and the review of the vulnerability of water resources to climate change and other man made pressures. The Blueprint, in line with the current approach of water policy, will propose EU action where it offers added value and will take fully into account the very significant differences between and within Member States in terms of water availability, quality, quantity, efficiency etc. Therefore, it will not put forward a one size fit all straight jacket but rather try to put in place the tool box that Member States can rely upon to improve water management at national, regional and river basin level. In previous discussion papers, the Commission identified 7 policy areas to be covered by the Blueprint.[1] For the sake of simplicity and to take into account the overlaps between those 7 areas, the following sections will address the same policy areas in 5 blocks covering policy scenarios, promising measures, economic incentives, governance, and knowledge base & innovation.
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation

5. 1. Target Setting Build upon a comprehensive DPSIR framework
What targets are available, and what targets are needed to cope with current and future challenges?
At which level can these targets be defined?
EU level, RB level, farm/plant/building level, product level, etc
Implementation issues
information needs
link with regulatory framework
Link with targets in other areas
Highlight the areas where action at EU level is needed
(e.g. targets on quantitative status complementing or integrated into GES, targets on pressures (diffuse sources, HyMo, water retention), on impacts (ecosystem services) or on responses (recycling, water efficiency, etc.)?
, either for EU-Wide targets or to provide Member States, local authorities or businesses with the tools and support to develop and implement targets.
The analysis should build on the findings of ClimWatAdapt (DPSIR and vulnerability indicators), WSD Gap Analysis and building block studies, Water accounts/Lot 1, Pressures and Measures (Tasks 2x and 3-DPSI)

6. 2. Unlocking Measures
Start from a list of strategic measures currently assessed in different projects
Pressures & Measures, Natural Water Retention Measures, WSD Gap Analysis
potential impact of some of these measures quantitatively assessed within Lot 1
Analysis of the barriers for the implementation of the measures , and how action at EU level could help reducing these barriers.
Horizontal issues addressed under other areas
e.g. better targets, Cost-Benefits Analysis, governance, knowledge base
Focus on the link with EU policy instruments and implementation
(water, other environmental and sectoral policies
Innovation barriers: link with Strategic Implementation Plan of the IP

7. 3. Economic Incentives focus on 3 areas:
Current water pricing level and structure does not provide sufficient incentive to change behaviour (this includes an identification of EHS e.g. in energy and agriculture) and contribute to decreasing pressures on water resources.
Current pricing does not raise sufficient funds to contribute to recover costs and finance priority measures (esp in time of declining public budgets). Analysis TTT.
Pre-conditions need to be met:
Metering
illegal abstraction
calculation methods for Environmental & Resource Costs / Ecosystem Services

8. 4. Governance
A number of governance issues emerge from the Fitness Check, RBMP assessment and WSD Gap Analysis.
Implementation of current water policy instruments
Mainstreaming water in sectoral policies (planning scheme integration, better inclusion of GES or WE requirements, etc.)
Further integrating in trans-boundary RB management.
Cost-benefits analysis

9. 5. Knowledge Base
This section of the analysis should wrap-up on knowledge requirements identified in the previous sections, and provide a knowledge mapping indicating:
Information needed for supporting EU water policy goals / minimum information requirements
Where this knowledge comes (or could come) from: monitoring, reporting, research projects, other sources.
Inter-operability and accessibility, roles, responsibilities, timing, quality assurance
Identify:
Obsolete or misfit knowledge requirements
critical knowledge gaps
Analyse how water knowledge is produced and disseminated, looking at co-operation between EU (Go4), national or RB-level institutions, corporate data providers, etc.
(ecological assessment, short-term responses, water accounts, environmental flows, etc.)

10. Overview Support Studies

11. External consultation milestones
12-16 March 2012: 6th World Water Forum (Marseille)
29 March (tbc): ad-hoc Water Directors meeting
March: launch 12-weeks public consultation on draft objectives and policy options for the Blueprint.
21-25 May 2012: Green Week focusing on water and 3rd EU Water Conference (24-25 may)
7 July 2012: CY presidency: Informal Council discussing inputs to Blueprint

12. Statistics: What do we need?
High resolution physical flow data
Accurate abstraction data
meaningful level of geographical and temporal detail
focus on the most relevant sectors and geographic areas
Ecosystem services accounting
Statistics on water pricing
Application and costs of key measures
+ access to AVAILABLE information (e.g. GRDC, census data, GIS layers, etc.)

13. How? Apply SEIS principle of "Report once use many“
Stratified approach / link with modeling
Increase interoperability of the information / decrease administrative burden.
Potential of information in water supply and treatment industry
Integration GMES into future reporting and monitoring structures
Further Water Information System for Europe (WISE) development