Focus Group with international experts and policymakers to delve into the strategies, measures, and challenges to implementing environmental protection regulations that support the Polluter Pays Principle in the European Member States.
- water protection | drinking water | water policy | water | sustainable agriculture
- Wednesday 26 June 2024, 08:30 - 10:00 (CEST)
- Online only
- Live streaming available
- Country
- Spain
Practical information
- When
- Wednesday 26 June 2024, 08:30 - 10:00 (CEST)
- Where
- Online only
- Languages
- English
- Part of
- Website
- Event website
Description
Within the ZeroPollution4Water Cluster (https://zeropollution4water.eu/) funded by Horizon Europe 2022, the UPWATER project (Understanding Groundwater Pollution to protect and enhance WATER quality) aims to assess the effectiveness of different preventive non-technological measures to minimize the release of chemicals at the source.
Three case studies in Denmark, Greece, and Spain, representing different groundwater pollution problems and socio-economic contexts, are analyzed through a participatory approach to reaching a consensus on the most appropriate Policy Option recommendations. Similarly, the project addresses preventive measures at the European level. This partner event corresponds to one of the six Focus Groups on specific topics that will enlighten current questions and further projections to promote discussion among international experts and policymakers.
The role of aquifers as natural water reservoirs, contributing to maintaining aquatic ecosystems and meeting the water supply demands of populations and productive sectors, is well known. However, there is increasing concern about the sustainability of all available water bodies, revealing a change in tendency. The present Focus Group will address the Polluters Pay Principles from the approach of the strategies and measures to implement environmental protection regulations, which are already under discussion and consideration by experts, policymakers, and researchers in existing working groups.
The center of the debate is any measure already proposed and or implemented in the European framework dedicated to preventing groundwater pollution, e.g. water abstraction charges, water pollution fees, pesticide taxes, effluent taxes, resource costs, integrated water services, water management fees, or payments for ecosystem services.
These discussions rely on current knowledge of methodologies, models, and experiences that foster deeper understanding among the attendees. The main objective of this event is to gather a variety of insights and responses from experts and policymakers regarding specific questions that may illuminate further steps to protect and benefit from groundwater resources within the European framework.
The qualitative data collected will contribute to elaborate Policy Option recommendations at the local, regional, and European levels.