1. A Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s Water Resources

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,
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.

3. 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

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
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation

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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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 May
7/7: Informal Council in Cyprus
November: Publication Blueprint

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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