Following the adoption of the European Water Resilience Strategy, the first Water Resilience Forum convened policymakers, VET providers, scientists, industry leaders and civil society in Brussels to chart a credible path towards a water‑resilient European Union by 2050.
Europe is facing mounting pressures from water scarcity, declining water quality and climate‑related risks that directly affect citizens’ well‑being and the Union’s economic competitiveness. The Forum addressed these challenges head‑on through high‑level discussions on financing innovative water solutions, strengthening industrial competitiveness through water resilience, and scaling water efficiency from local initiatives to global action.
The Forum was organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR). The opening session featured CoR President Kata Tüttő, alongside European Commission Executive Vice‑President Teresa Ribera and Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessica Roswall.
EfVET was represented by PoVE Water Coordinator Peter Hoekstra and EfVET’s Valentian Chanina, together with partners from CIV Water and the Water Camps initiative. A key highlight was the exchange with Commissioner Jessica Roswall, who took a close interest in the projects’ concrete contributions to building a water‑resilient Europe by 2050.
In parallel, discussions with DG Environment explored pathways to ensure the continuity of existing initiatives and to further expand the network of partners engaged in water resilience. EfVET and its partners actively contributed to multiple thematic sessions, including:
- Upskilling for water resilience
- Water efficiency: from local to global action
- Financing the pathway to water resilience
- Urban water resilience
- Digital transformation for water management
A significant share of the Forum focused on urban water resilience, underlining the strategic role cities play in adapting to climate change and safeguarding water resources. Participants also stressed the urgency of optimising industrial wastewater treatment plants, clearly positioning water as a key factor of competitiveness across Europe’s major economic sectors.
During the inauguration, Commissioner Roswall announced that in 2026 the European Commission plans to launch several flagship initiatives, including the Water Resilience Investment Accelerator, the European Water Academy, and a new stakeholder platform on water resilience. These initiatives aim to accelerate innovative retention solutions, drive digitalisation in the water sector, and strengthen skills development and cooperation among water‑management actors across Member States.
The forthcoming stakeholder platform will provide guidance on climate‑resilient investment, industrial water efficiency, digital innovation and urban water resilience. A call for interest to join this expert group is expected to open in early 2026.
Overall, the first Water Resilience Forum successfully established a shared strategic vision for a water‑resilient Europe by 2050. More importantly, it marked a decisive shift from policy ambition to a concrete, action‑oriented roadmap, reinforcing cross‑sector collaboration between public authorities, industry and education to deliver measurable impact.