Water Resilience Strategy: EU regions urge to boost the resilience against floods and droughts

Local and regional leaders have pointed out that the recent floods in South-Western Europe are a stark reminder of the need to strengthen the capacities of local and regional authorities in risk prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is urging the European Commission and the Member States to adopt a 'resilience by design' approach and to embed disaster resilience and vulnerability assessments systemically into spatial and urban planning and decisions on investments and infrastructure. The CoR adopted its opinion on the European Water Resilience Strategy unanimously at the plenary session on 4 March, after a debate with Commissioner for Environment Jessica Roswall and the launch of a new alliance of EU regions for water resilience.

The European Commission presented the first European Water Resilience Strategy in June 2025 to respond to the different water-related challenges across the EU, from droughts to floods and water pollution. With the opinion led by the CoR President Kata Tüttő and the First Vice-President Juanma Moreno, the CoR points out a direct correlation between the natural availability of water and the level of regional development and urges to fully involve cities and regions in decision making on water planning and management, especially in cross-boundary river basins. It underlines that water resilience measures must be socially fair and affordable, particularly for vulnerable households, economic sectors highly dependent on water, and regions experiencing water stress.

Local and regional leaders are calling for water management to be integrated systemically across all EU policy areas by applying a 'Water Test' to EU legislation, as suggested by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The CoR calls to include dedicated water resilience headings in the next multiannual EU budget, with support from cohesion policy and other EU instruments to regions with water-related challenges. The Commission should also provide regionally disaggregated water stress indicators and climate vulnerability maps to ensure that EU-level measures are tailored to different territorial realities.

With many European water bodies still in poor condition, the CoR is calling for the application of the polluter pays principle and the deployment of advanced water treatment technologies and monitoring systems across the entire water cycle. It is urging the European Commission to put forward a proposal restricting PFAS ('forever chemicals') and warns that the simplification of European water legislation must not compromise essential environmental standards or public health.

Local and regional leaders recall that reducing demand for water resources by promoting water savings, efficiency and reuse is a key element of water resilience and therefore welcome the introduction of the water efficiency first principle. Agriculture being both the largest consumer of water resources in Europe and source of nutrients and pesticides pollution, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy should provide targeted support to professionalise and modernise the sector.

The adoption of the CoR opinion coincided with the launch of the Alliance for Water Resilience and Preparedness to Climate Change by 19 founding EU regions. The joint political initiative is led by Emilia-Romagna (Italy) and brings together European regions committed to strengthening their role as strategic partners in advancing water resilience, preparedness, and climate adaptation.

Quotes:

CoR President Kata Tüttő, Member of the General Assembly of Budapest Capital and co-rapporteur of the opinion: "For European regions and cities, availability of water is already a source of anxiety. We face droughts and floods; we need water to drink and to produce in key sectors, from agriculture to medicines or energy. We all need to prepare in an uncertain world. Cohesion policy can help ensure water resilience, even if we are under pressure."

CoR First Vice-President Juanma Moreno, President of Andalusia and co-rapporteur of the opinion: "The ongoing succession of floods and droughts shows that water resilience must be built from the ground up. Europe needs a strategy that strengthens the capacity of regions and cities to anticipate risks, protect citizens and ensure the sustainable use of water, combining nature-based solutions with the best available technology. Turning the tide means investing more and better, taking decisions closer to the territory, and committing to an intelligent and sustainable use of water to support the socio-economic development of each territory and protect citizens, leaving no one behind."

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy: "Water is the very foundation of our economic and environmental security. It is clear that water challenges are felt first and most severely at a local level. That means solutions must be shaped locally, and this is why the Committee of the Regions has such a vital role. The European Water Resilience Strategy is our collective answer and together we can turn ambition into action and deliver real water resilience."

More information:

The CoR hosted the first EU Water Resilience Forum in December 2025. The biannual event was co-organised with the European Commission and the EESC. In 2026, the Commission is launching the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, a new informal expert group that will bring together stakeholders and local and regional authorities to support implementation of priority actions under the Water Resilience Strategy.

The CoR's ENVE Commission has recently published a study on Managing flood risks: how to build water resilience in local communities, which analyses five case studies from across Europe and provides recommendations to local and regional authorities, national governments and the EU.

· Photos of the CoR plenary

· Photos of the launch of the Alliance for Water Resilience and Preparedness to Climate Change

Contact:

Lauri Ouvinen
Tel. +32 473536887
[email protected]