A resilient Europe: What role for water in a competitive union?

This event aims to discuss the strategic value of water for Europe’s competitiveness. Europe has developed a comprehensive framework of environmental policy framework on water over the years ensuring water quality standards are met across the Member States. Building upon the existing policy framework and the understating of the climate-related risks associated with water security, availability and safety, it is imperative for Europe to act on the value and importance of water for the strategic priorities adopted by this European Commission and in view of the next legislative mandate.  

Enhancing Europe’s competitiveness has been identified as one of the key strategic priorities for the coming years. Water is a cross-cutting field across ecosystem protection, food production, health, infrastructure, and economy and finance.  A comprehensive strategy on water needs to address how risk owners can invest in the infrastructure and operation needed to protect regions from floods and drought, while delivering affordable water and sanitation services.  

These areas are critical for Europe’s growth in its ambitious goals of strategic autonomy, competitiveness, and sustainability.  Against this backdrop, the event aims at bringing forward the opportunities of the water value chain in Europe to mitigate water-associated risks, build financial resilience and grow economic competitiveness.  All stakeholders, including European Institutions, technology suppliers, infrastructure owners and operators, industrial players, NGO, water users have clear dependencies on the sustainable management of water resources. In this event we will discuss the roles and opportunities of all players across the water value chain, and how governance, economic models and financing, collaboration and innovation can accelerate building resilience and ensure a strong foundation to Europe growth.  

The event will foster a debate with policy-makers, stakeholders, industry, NGOs, consumers and leading to tangible input and conclusions to be provided to the EU legislators for the next mandate. The speakers for this event will be the European (water) CEOs of six leading companies, namely: Suez, Ecolab, Xylem, Veolia, Danfoss and Grundfos as well as high-level speakers from the European Institutions. More details in the draft programme of the event.  

The format of the event will be a moderated roundtable discussion with the speakers and participants of the event.