De toekomst van het Europese waterbeleid (en)

On November 26 and 27, 2012, representatives from EU Member States, stakeholder groups, and the European Commission will gather at the EU Water Blueprint Conference in Lefkosia (Nicosia), to discuss the future of EU water policy. They will predominantly focus on the proposals for action in the “Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources”, which was adopted by the Commission on November 14, 2012.

The event is jointly organised by the European Commission and the Cyprus Presidency.

The Blueprint is a strategy aimed at ensuring that enough good quality water is available to meet the needs of people, the economy and the environment.

Under EU legislation, the EU Water Framework Directive aims to get EU waters in good status by 2015. But in spite of some improvements in recent years, EU waters are not doing well. Additional action is needed to tackle old and emerging challenges, including water pollution, increasing water abstraction for agriculture and energy production, impacts of land use and climate change.

The Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources is the EU's policy response to these challenges.

"The Blueprint shows we have a good understanding of the problems we face and a solid basis to tackle them with the existing legislation. The time has come to take action to deliver the full benefits of our legislation stimulating innovative solutions in water policy for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy," says the European Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Janez Potočnik.

Cyprus’ Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Mr. Sofoclis Aletrarisstressed that: “The Cyprus Presidency fully supports the Commission’s initiative to prepare and present the Blueprint, and spares no effort to prepare the ground for placing before the December Environment Council a proposal for relevant Council Conclusions. This, despite the very tight time limits we are faced with.”

The EU Water Blueprint Conference will hold a debate on the implementation of the policy proposals of the Blueprint. The event is jointly organised by the European Commission and the Cyprus Presidency. The main topics for discussion will be:

• - 

  Land use and ecological status vulnerability
• - 

  Water infrastructure and ways of tackling water pollution
• - 

  EU water efficiency, especially accounting, allocating, using, and recovering costs of water
• - 

  Global aspects of water policy
• - 

  Cross-cutting solutions to further the objectives of EU water policy.

For more information:

EU Water Blueprint Conference website:

http://www.euwaterblueprintconference.eu/about-conference

Commission webpage on the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/blueprint/index_en.htm

Questions and answers on the Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s water resources:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-866_en.htm

Contacts :

European Commission:

Joe Hennon (+32 2 295 35 93)

Monica Westeren (+32 2 299 18 30)

Cyprus Presidency:

Yianna Economidou (+357 22 609 395)