Managing scarce water resources in the European Union
 While Europe is by and large considered as having adequate water resources, water scarcity is an increasingly frequent phenomenon in the European Union. The long-term imbalance resulting from water demand in excess of available water resources is no longer uncommon. The Commission expects further deterioration of the water situation in Europe if temperatures keep rising. Water is no longer the problem of a few regions, but now concerns all 500 million Europeans.
Addressing water scarcity and droughts : Commission Communication identifying policy options to increase water efficiency and water savings
2007 Communication
In 2006 and early 2007 the Commission carried out an in-depth assessment of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union. Following this assessment the Commission presented an initial set of policy options to increase water efficiency and water savings in a Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union (COM/2007/0414 final) published in July 2007.
Stakeholders and interested parties took an active part in the drafting of the Communication. Meetings with stakeholders provided them with an overview of the scope and impact of water scarcity and droughts in Europe and gave them the opportunity to share their views and suggest ways to address such issues.
All interested parties were also invited to provide written contributions on the Commission's first assessment report and their views on the future orientations and measures for addressing water scarcity and droughts in the EU.
Read the contributions provided by:
2008 Follow-up report
In September 2008, a stakeholder conference on water scarcity and droughts took place in Zaragoza (Spain) as part of the Commission's work to report on how the implementation of the options it presented in 2007 was progressing throughout the EU.
The first follow up report to the Communication was adopted in December 2008. The Report aims at summarizing the progress made with regard to the policy options identified in the previous Communication, and is accompanied by a work programme. The report points to a number of areas — such as land-use planning, water pricing, water metering, promoting water efficient devices and practices, education, information and communication — which many Member States have already begun to address. However, it shows that more effort is needed in most of the areas and especially on drought risk management and the financing of water efficiency measures. The implementation of the work programme will be monitored and will be part of the review of the strategy for water scarcity and droughts mentioned in the Council Conclusions of 30 October 2007, which is planned for 2012.
Studies and policy documents
Study reveals potential to save water in Europe stands at 40%
A study commissioned by the Commission published in August 2007 estimates that water efficiency could be improved by nearly 40% through technological improvements alone and that changes in human behaviour or production patterns could increase such savings further. In a business as usual scenario the study estimates that water consumption by the public, industry and agriculture would increase by 16% by 2030. Conversely, the use of water saving technologies and irrigation management in the industrial and agricultural sectors could reduce excesses by as much as 43% while water efficiency measures could decrease water wastage by up to a third.
Assessment of four alternative water supply options Local measures are needed for solving local problems
The European Commission launched a study “Assessment of alternative water supply options” to assess four alternative water supply options in Europe, namely desalination, wastewater re-use, ground water recharge, and rainwater harvesting in 2008.
The objectives of the study were to assess the risks and impacts of four alternative water supply options and the extent to which the possible negative effects from these water supply options can be mitigated as well as to identify conditions for the sustainable development of alternative supply options. The preliminary assessment of the potential impacts of desalination development on energy consumption, looking at anticipated conditions in 2030 and completed in 2008 is part of this project.
The presented case studies indicate that the potential problems and mitigation options differ between locations and technologies – meaning that mitigation measures have to be designed to deal with local conditions. The case studies therefore do not provide a single set of best available mitigation options, but rather provide check-lists of potential problems and a catalogue of potential mitigation options, with illustrations about successful applications.
The study reveals that alternative water supply options may be more expensive then conventional options, and the case studies illustrate that in these cases the promotion of alternative water supply options are likely to use subsidies to compensate for price differences. Although subsidies can help the users in the transition towards a more efficient use of water resources, the final goal should be to have sustainable water use where the price of water reflects its true cost, efficiencies are improved, and water demand is reduced.
- Read the full report of the study on Potential impacts of desalination development on energy consumption
- Read the Final Summary Report (extended Version) of the Assessment of alternative water supply options
- Read the Final Summary Report (short Version) of the Assessment of alternative water supply options
- Read the annexes of the Assessment of alternative water supply options
- Task 1 – Assessment of the risks and impacts of four alternative water supply options (desalination, wastewater re-use, ground water recharge, and rainwater harvesting);
- Task 2 – Assessment of the extent to which the possible negative effects from these water supply options in terms of environment and human health can be mitigated
- Task 3 - Conditions for the sustainable development of alternative supply options
Report on drought management plans
A European network of experts on water scarcity and droughts produced a report in 2007 on drought management plans as part of the Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive. This report was endorsed by the Water Directors of the Member States in November 2007.
The report sets out recommendations in preparing operational drought management plans to prevent and mitigate the impact of droughts on the environment, society and the economy. The report includes examples of drought management plans in place in some Member States such as Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal.
|
