Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION Cohesion Policy and the water sector Eddy Hartog Head of Unit, DG REGIO EU Sanitation Policies and Practices Brussels, 29 January 2008

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2 WATER AND THE EUROPEAN UNION The European Water Conference 22 and 23 March framework/2007conference/index_en.htm The European Water Conference 22 and 23 March framework/2007conference/index_en.htm

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 3 1.Lisbon and Gothenburg strategy 2.Sustainable development strategy THE CONTEXT

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 4 1.Legislation and other guidance 2.Funding THE ROLE OF THE EU IN INVESTMENTS IN THE WATER SECTOR

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 5 1.Various Regulations and directives Water Framework Directive Floods Directive Marine Strategy Directive Blue Paper on Maritime Policy Communication on Water scarcity and droughts Risk prevention 2.Enforcement National Courts EU Verification of compliance Legal action Political pressure LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 6 1.Instruments at different levels designed in an overall package FP7 LIFE+ Rural development Cohesion Policy EIB 2.All projects must comply with legislation FUNDING

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 7 Disparities in levels of development between EU27 regions are significant and have doubled compared to EU15 (measured in GDP/head). Based on a strategic approach (Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion), cohesion policy instruments invest in endogenous growth potential and competitiveness of regional economies. Cohesion policy instruments account for one third of the EU budget or EUR 350 billion over the period. Based on the policys princples of concentration, programming, partnership, additionality and efficiency, the funds implementation follows shared management between the Commission, the Member States and the regions. Cohesion Policy in a nutshell

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 8

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 9 Cohesion Policy – 336 billion Drinking water 8 billion (2.3%) Waste water 14 billion (4%) Risk prevention 6 billion (1.7%) Drinking water 8 billion (2.3%) Waste water 14 billion (4%) Risk prevention 6 billion (1.7%)

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 10 Cohesion Policy - water

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 11 Cohesion Policy – Romania as an example Inadequate public services in the water sectors; A large number of municipalities lack in sewage systems and wastewater treatment to the required level; Many large agglomerations lack in water supply systems; Inadequate waste management systems; Frequent flood events;

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 12 Pre-accession projects Water Waste

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 13 Lessons learned from pre-accession Need to improve planning Good project preparation takes time Short cuts in project preparation are paid at the implementation phase Addressing the co-financing is part of project preparation Adequate institutional mechanism in place –Need to define clear roles and responsibilities of various actors

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 14 National Stretegic Reference Framework Priority 2 – Development of infrastructure at European standards Priority Axis 3 – Protection and improvement of environmental quality SOP ENVIRONMENT Global Objective – Improvement of living standards and environment, focusing in particular on meeting the environmental acquis Specific Objective 1 Improve the access to water infrastructure, by providing water supply and wastewater services in most urban areas by 2015 Specific Objective 2 Improvement of soil quality, by improving waste management and reduction in the number of old ecological burdens in min. 30 counties by 2015 Specific Objective 3 Reduction of negative environmental impact caused by old municipal thermal plants in most polluted localities by 2015 Priority Axis 1 Extension and modernization of water and waste water infrastructure Priority Axis 2 Development of integrated waste management systems and rehabilitation of old ecological burdens Priority Axis 4 Development of management systems for protected areas Priority Axis 5 Implementation of adequate infrastructure of natural risk prevention in most vulnerable areas Specific Objective 4 Protection and improvement of biodiversity and natural assets by supporting NATURA 2000 implementation Specific Objective 5 Reduction of the incidence of natural disasters for the population, by implementing preventive measures in most vulnerable areas by 2015 Priority Axis 3 Improvement of municipal heating systems in selected priority areas LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 15 Water sector – top priority Priority Axis 1 - Extension and modernization of water and wastewater systems Specific objectives –Provide adequate water and sewerage services, at accessible tariffs –Provide adequate drinking water quality in all urban agglomerations –Improvement in purity of watercourses –Improvement of the level of WWTP sludge management Indicative operations - Construction/modernization of water sources intended for the drinking water abstraction; - Construction/rehabilitation of water treatment plants - Extension/rehabilitation of water and sewerage networks. - Construction/upgrading of wastewater treatment plants - Construction/rehabilitation of sludge treatment facilities - Metering, laboratory equipment, leakage detection equipment, etc

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 16 Water sector – top priority Priority Axis 1 - Extension and modernization of water and wastewater systems Specific objectives –Provide adequate water and sewerage services, at accessible tariffs –Provide adequate drinking water quality in all urban agglomerations –Improvement in purity of watercourses –Improvement of the level of WWTP sludge management Indicative operations - Construction/modernization of water sources intended for the drinking water abstraction; - Construction/rehabilitation of water treatment plants - Extension/rehabilitation of water and sewerage networks. - Construction/upgrading of wastewater treatment plants - Construction/rehabilitation of sludge treatment facilities - Metering, laboratory equipment, leakage detection equipment, etc Romanian Water Sector has a implementation capacity problem not a funding problem a) to transform funds into adequate water and wastewater facilities b) to operate and maintain the facilities towards normal life times Modern Water and Waste water management requirements not covered Adequate and auditable accounting systems Orientation towards commercial targets as service provider Efficient economies of scale and adequate staffing with regard to quality and quantity Procurement capacities for large investments and modern services management Development of long-term investment strategies

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 17 Regionalization Status in Water Sector

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 18 Project pipeline water sector

Directorate-General for Regional Policy EUROPEAN COMMISSION 19 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION