Roswall Highlights Global Water Crisis and EU Challenges
At the 2025 Global Water Summit, Commissioner Jessika Roswall underscored the escalating global water crisis, emphasizing that 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water and half of the global population lacks adequate sanitation. She noted the significance of this crisis for Europe, which is the fastest warming continent, warning that declining water quality and quantity, alongside aging infrastructure, pose growing risks including flooding and economic costs reaching tens of billions of euros.
Ambitious EU Water Resilience Strategy Announced
Commissioner Roswall announced plans for a forthcoming European Water Resilience Strategy with three core objectives: restoration and protection of the water cycle, development of a water-smart economy that supports competitiveness and innovation, and enhancement of water resilience ensuring clean and affordable water access. This strategy aims to bolster EU water-related industries and attract investments, framing water efficiency and reuse as economic priorities.
Strengthening Global Cooperation and Diplomacy
The Commissioner emphasized the need for strengthened global governance and cooperation, citing the recent UN water conference and upcoming international events as pivotal. She proposed enhancing partnerships, especially within the EU neighborhood and beyond through the Global Gateway initiative, and launching a biennial Water Resilience Forum to foster stakeholder dialogue.
Implications for Stakeholders
The strategy may increase the regulatory role and resource allocation of EU institutions, while potentially raising operational demands and investment requirements for water industry businesses. Consumers and civil society could benefit from improved water quality and access, yet might face cost implications linked to infrastructure upgrades. National authorities will likely need to enhance coordination and compliance efforts. This approach navigates cleavages between EU integration in resource management versus national sovereignty and between ambitious environmental goals and economic competitiveness. Overall, Roswall’s proposals signal a strengthened EU role in both domestic and international water governance and economic innovation centered on water sustainability.