Water is a human right. The more the ongoing climate crisis shows its threatening side, the more essential it becomes to campaign for universal access to water. Even today, sufficient access to clean and affordable water in Europe cannot be taken for granted. Agricultural areas with intensive irrigation, tourist islands and large urban centres are the most vulnerable to water scarcity, which is expected to increase due to climate change. Strategies for dealing with potential conflicts of use in water distribution should therefore be developed now through forward-looking planning.

From the EU Blue Deal to a Water Resilience Strategy
The fact that water has received so much attention from the European institutions in recent years as a key necessity for human life is also due to the work of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the EU Blue Deal. When the EESC began its work on this in January 2023, a key concern was to establish water as a key political issue, ensure universal access to drinking water and provide the necessary funding for water supply. AK EUROPA also made the necessary Blue Deal for the EU a topic of discussion at a large public event in September 2023.

The EU Commission has now responded by developing a European Water Resilience Strategy. After EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already announced the strategy in her political guidelines for the 2024-2029 legislative period, it was not only included in the so-called Mission Letter of the new Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, who for the first time has responsibility for water resilience in her title. A public consultation was also held from early February to early March 2025, with 574 responses received. In addition, a major stakeholder event was organised by the EU Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment in Brussels on 6 March.

AK not only participated in these opportunities to position itself, but also took a stand early on with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) in a joint letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the responsible Commissioner Roswall. The letter calls for the forthcoming strategy to strengthen public services of general interest, ensure adequate funding for public water supply, prioritise nature-based solutions, protect clean water, increase water efficiency and avoid end-of-pipe solutions wherever possible. As the strategy is expected to be published in the second quarter of 2025, AK EUROPA and EPSU held a joint event with key alliance partners in Brussels on 26 March 2025 to raise awareness of the urgency of these demands among an expert audience.

People and planet first: key messages from the event
Judith Vorbach (AK EUROPA) opened the event by stressing the vital importance of water protection and the need for political action. In addition to the investment requirements for competitiveness and defence, which have recently been discussed more and more prominently, spending on social issues should not be forgotten. In his welcoming address, Thomas Kattnig (EPSU/EESC) emphasised that without access to clean water, people have no livelihoods and communities cannot develop sustainably. As conflicts over water resources increase, there is an urgent need for comprehensive management and cooperation.

Vera Weghmann (University of Greenwich) then presented her institute's research findings on the organisation of water services in different countries. These show that remunicipalisation - i.e. the return of privatised services to public ownership - has led to falling water prices and better service in many places. She warned of the negative consequences of privatisation, including rising costs and a loss of confidence in the quality of drinking water. The effects have been particularly drastic in the UK. There, privatisation led to high debts and rising water prices, while investments in infrastructure were lacking.

In her commentary, Trudy Higgins (EU Commission) provided insights into the development of the forthcoming water strategy with broad stakeholder participation. However, she stressed that implementation of existing legislation, such as the Wastewater Treatment Directive, is also crucial. She referred to a joint study by the OECD and the Directorate-General for Environment on the current and future challenges Member States face in financing water supply, wastewater treatment and flood protection, not least to ensure the necessary investment to comply with EU legislation.

In the panel discussion, Sara Johansson (European Environmental Bureau) highlighted the EU's inadequate preparation for the climate crisis. Past failures have also meant that, for example, PFAS chemicals are not sufficiently regulated - a major problem for drinking water quality. Nature-based solutions should be prioritised in the future because of their efficiency and flexibility. Marine Boulard (Aqua Publica Europea) reiterated the immense need for investment, the increasing competition for water resources and, in this context, the importance of fair distribution. Those responsible for pollution must make a fair contribution.

Pablo Sánchez Centellas (EPSU) drew attention to the economic importance of a functioning water supply and the cost of inaction. He criticised the fact that the EU has not yet fully implemented the United Nations approach of treating water as a human right. Sustainable financing solutions are key, he said, warning against public-private partnerships because of the risks involved. Iris Strutzmann (AK Wien) pointed out that the challenges are also clearly noticeable in Austria. Groundwater levels are sinking, and pollutants such as PFAS are accumulating in nature and in drinking water. A sustainable water policy must take targeted countermeasures and prevent the liberalisation of the water sector through the back door.

What happens next?
It is to be welcomed that the topic of water will be given a high priority in the forthcoming strategy. However, the creation of a competitive EU water industry is also on the agenda. The event clearly showed that water is not a commodity, but an indispensable common good. What is needed now is the political will to translate this into concrete action. For sustainable and equitable water management in Europe, the future strategy must therefore also ensure that drinking water use is prioritised in times of scarcity and that public water supplies are not put under pressure.

Further information:
AK EUROPA: Demands - European water strategy
AK EUROPA: Political Guidelines for the next EU Commission 2024 - 2029. The right answers to current challenges?
AK EUROPA: EU Blue Deal – a plan for the future of our water
AK EUROPA: Recast of the EU Waste Water Directive: Public control and affordability crucial
AK EUROPA: Access to water as a human right
AK EUROPA: Blue Deal – European water strategy for climate resilient water management
AK EUROPA: EPSU and AK EUROPA Joint Letter to EU Commission on the Water Resilience Strategy
EEB (The European Environmental Bureau): Water
OECD: Financing Water Supply, Sanitation and Flood Protection