Water resilience has become a critical priority in Europe, with the Commission outlining key objectives like restoring the water cycle, promoting a water-smart economy, and ensuring clean water access for all. The European Water Resilience Strategy was published on 4 June and emphasizes the need for sustainable management of water resources amid climate challenges, supported by cross-cutting actions in areas like digitalization and innovation. The CoR contributed last year to the water agenda through opinions advocating for improved governance and risk management, while also addressing concerns on agriculture and water infrastructures. The proposed ENVE opinion will respond to this strategy, highlighting the key challenges and opportunities for cities and regions. The opinion is expected to:
Analyse needs, roles and support mechanisms for LRAs which will be crucial in the successful implementation of the European Water Resilience Strategy
Emphasize that water resilience cannot be achieved without LRAs who are closest to citizens and ecosystems.
Advocate for mandatory involvement of LRAs in national water resilience planning and implementation.
Request a formalized multilevel governance mechanism to ensure coherence between EU, national, and subnational actions.
Call for tailored support and funding access and request simplified access for smaller municipalities to EU funding and technical assistance, such as via a “one-stop shop” for LRAs.
Endorse the proposed Sustainable Water Advisory Facility and the Water Program with the EIB, and ensure it is accessible to LRAs.
Call for capacity-building and technical support
Request the establishment of a European Water Academy with a strong territorial dimension, including training and guidance for local water operators and authorities.
Support the proposed Water Skills Initiative, ensuring it is inclusive of local public sector needs.
Ensure that the Water Resilience Flagship under the Technical Support Instrument to support Member States considers the territorial dimension of water and regional specificities.
Call for investment in digitalisation capacity-building at the local level (e.g., digital twins, smart metering, AI-based monitoring tools).
Call for enhancing policy coherence and urge the EC to integrate water resilience into local and regional planning instruments, such as climate adaptation and energy strategies.
Support the use of spatial planning tools proposed in the strategy and ask for territorial impact assessments of major EU water-related legislation.
Create synergies between CAP, Cohesion Policy, Horizon Europe and the Ocean Mission with place-based priorities and territorial platforms.
Promote nature-based solutions and small-scale green infrastructure at the local level as cost-effective tools for drought and flood management.
Call for pilot projects across EU regions under the “Green and Blue Corridors” initiative with strong LRA involvement.
Recommend strengthening transboundary water cooperation through enhanced support for cross-border basin organizations and Interreg projects.
Request that the Water Resilience Forum includes permanent CoR representation and a structured role for LRAs.
Ask for simplified reporting requirements under EU water legislation for small municipalities.
Support streamlining of permitting procedures, especially for local nature-based solutions and small reuse infrastructure.
Prioritize local resilience in the future CAP by systematically involving LRAs in the design and implementation of Strategic Plans, particularly on water efficiency, drought resilience, and nutrient management, aligned with multi-level governance and territorial approaches.
Boost funding for local water solutions, by earmarking transition packages and rural development funds to support LRAs and farmers implementing agro-ecological practices, nature-based solutions, and water retention projects to restore the water cycle and enhance climate resilience.
Ensure coherence between freshwater and marine policies, supporting the Strategy’s source-to-sea approach.
Strengthen LRAs’ role in managing coastal zones, including integrated land-sea planning and climate adaptation.
Support LRA participation in the implementation of the European Ocean Pact and upcoming revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Develop nature-based coastal protection measures (e.g. dunes, wetlands, floodplains) and sustainable port strategies in close cooperation with regional authorities.
Enable cross-border cooperation on shared marine and river basins via Interreg, twinning and basin organization support.
The opinion will be supported by the ENVE study 'Managing flood risks: how to build water resilience in local communities', which will develop a guide for LRAs for preventing, tackling and responding to flood emergencies. The opinion will also benefit from input coming from a Territorial Impact Assessment.
