As humanity faces recurring water-related crises, this edition of the annual conference looked at what is needed to make the EU more water resilient.
The Green Week 2024 Conference was held on 29-30 May.
A fantastic array of speakers discussed all aspects of water management:
- fostering a water-smart economy
- restoring and safeguarding the disrupted water cycle
- ensuring widespread access to clean and affordable water
- as well as sanitation and international water cooperation.
The Natura 2000 award ceremony took place in the evening of 29 May, followed by the LIFE award ceremony in the evening of 30 May.
You can see recordings of all the events here:
Welcome by Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director General of DG Environment, European Commission 
Keynote speech: Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal 
Opening session: Lidia Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences 
Opening session: Alain Maron, Brussels Minister for Climate Transition, the Environment, Energy, Social Action and Health 
Opening session: Veronica Manfredi, Director for Zero Pollution and Green Cities, DG Environment, European Commission, (moderator) 
Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders: Claudia Fusco, Director for General Affairs, Knowledge & Resources, DG Environment, European Commission (moderator) 
Opening session: Water resilient EU - key challenges, definition and vision 
Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders: Miriam Haritz, President of the International Convention for the Protection of the Rhine and ‘Water Director’ in the German BMUV 
From a growing global crisis to a global opportunity: Tony Agotha, EEAS Special Envoy for Climate and the Environment (moderator) 
From a growing global crisis to a global opportunity: Henk WJ Ovink, Executive Director, Global Commission on the Economics of Water 
Green Week 2024, exhibition area 
From a growing global crisis to a global opportunity: Stuart Orr, Global Freshwater Leader, World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) 
From a growing global crisis to a global opportunity: Claire McAllister, Head of Major Initiatives, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 
From a growing global crisis to a global opportunity: Veronika Hunt Safrankova, Head of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Brussels 
Statement by Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine 
Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders: Mitja Bricelj, Member to the ICPDR, Sava Commission and Barcelona Convention, Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning 
Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders: Edouard Boinet, Head of Project, International Network of Basin Organisations Europe 
Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders: Francesca Bernardini, Head of the Transboundary Cooperation Section, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 
Session: Water – finding cooperative solutions across borders
Session: The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all 
Riverside chat: Recognising legal rights of water ecosystems with Teresa Vicente, professor of philosophy of law and 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize winner and Beatriz Rios, European reporter & broadcast journalist 
Restoring and protecting a broken water cycle: Prof. Peter Strohschneider, Chairman of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, and João Madeira, Strategic Council of the Guadiana Valley Natural Park (Portugal) 
Restoring and protecting a broken water cycle: Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director for Biodiversity, DG Environment, European Commission, moderator 
Cascading water - creating a water-smart EU economy: Emil Fannikke Kiær, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Danish Industries, John Bell, Director for Healthy Planet, DG Research and Innovation, EC 
Green Week 2024, exhibition area_3 
Green Week 2024, exhibition area_2 
Green Week 2024, exhibition area_1 
Cascading water - creating a water-smart EU economy: Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director for Circular Economy, DG ENV, EC (moderator), prof. Dragan Savic, Chief Executive Officer, KWR Water Research Institute, dr. Geoff Townsend, Industry Fellow, Ecolab 
Riverside chat: See water differently through the lens of landscape architect with John Boon, International Federation of Landscape Architects Europe and Patrick Child, Deputy Director General, DG Environment, European Commission 
Restoring and protecting a broken water cycle: Eduardo Murillo Peñacoba, Project Manager, LIFE Ebro Resilience (Spain), and Elias Verbanck, Project Manager, LIFE SPARC (Space for Adapting the River Scheldt to Climate Change, Belgium) 
Closing remarks by Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director General of DG Environment, European Commission 
Closing remarks by Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director General of DG Environment, European Commission, and Katrina Sichel, Master of Ceremonies 
Governance and implementation: Marco Beroš, Lead Engineer, Water Management Division, Projects Directorate, European Investment Bank 
Governance and implementation: Paul Speight, acting Director of Compliance, Governance & Support to Member States Directorate, DG Environment, European Commission (moderator) 
Governance and implementation: Marco Falconi, chair of the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) 
Governance and implementation: Andreia Liborio Franco, Portuguese Environment Agency, Water Resources Department, Senior Officer, Water Resources Expert 
Governance and implementation: Dr. André Weidenhaupt, Director General, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity of Luxembourg; Chair of the Management Board of the European Environment Agency 
Session: Governance and implementation 
The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all: Alexa Dembek, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, DuPont
Keynote speech: Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal Statement by Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine 
Opening session: Pietro Francesco de Lotto, President of the Consultative Commission of Industrial Change, European Economic and Social Committee 
Opening session: Anikó Raisz, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs and Circular Economy, Hungary 
Katrina Sichel, Master of Ceremonies The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all: Alexa Dembek, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, DuPont 
The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all: Catarina de Albuquerque, Chief Executive Officer, Sanitation and Water for All and Joško Klisović, President of the Zagreb City Assembly, Member of the Committee of the Regions 
The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all: Anna Dupont, Senior Policy Analyst, OECD and Global Commission on the Economics of Water 
The very source of wellbeing: clean, affordable water and sanitation for all: Carla Montesi, Director for Green Deal & Digital Agenda, DG for International Partnerships, European Commission (moderator)
