EU regions call for a ‘water test’ across all policy areas

The local and regional leaders of the European Committee of the Regions call for integrated water management across all EU policy areas by applying a ‘Water Test’ to EU legislation. It was one of the requests that came up during the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions on 4 March in Brussels on the European Water Resilience Strategy.

During the meeting the Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted its opinion ‘Turning the Tide – A Local and Regional Roadmap for Water Resilience’ unanimously. According to a press release, CoR President Kata Tüttő and the First Vice-President Juanma Moreno, emphasised that it is crucial to fully involve cities and regions in decision-making on water planning and management, especially in cross-border river basins. The CoR-opinion underlines that water resilience measures must be socially fair and affordable, particularly for vulnerable households, economic sectors highly dependent on water, and regions experiencing water stress. 

Lack of funding

The Committee of the Regions wants to include dedicated water resilience funding in the next multiannual EU budget, with support from cohesion policy and other EU instruments to regions with water-related challenges. The lack of resources is a key concern of the regions. Many local authorities face shortages of funding, staff and technical expertise. The CoR calls for a simplified and more accessible EU financing landscape, including a dedicated Water Resilience Facility with technical assistance for smaller municipalities. According to the opinion, the current fragmentation between cohesion funds, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, LIFE and Horizon programmes slows down investment in water infrastructure and monitoring systems.

Safeguarding Europe’s waters

The Committee of the Regions has called for the application of the polluter pays principle and the deployment of advanced water treatment technologies and monitoring systems across the entire water cycle. It is urging the European Commission to put forward a proposal restricting PFAS and warns that the simplification of European water legislation must not compromise essential environmental standards or public health.

Water efficiency first

Local and regional leaders recall that efficiency and reuse are key elements of water resilience and therefore welcome the introduction of the water efficiency first principle. They also think that agriculture, being both the largest consumer of water resources in Europe and a source of nutrient and pesticide pollution, means that the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy should provide targeted support to modernise and professionalise the sector.

Alliance for Water Resilience and Preparedness to Climate Change

The adoption of the CoR opinion coincided with the launch of the Alliance for Water Resilience and Preparedness to Climate Change by 19 founding EU regions. The joint political initiative is led by Emilia-Romagna (Italy) and brings together European regions committed to strengthening their role as strategic partners in advancing water resilience, preparedness, and climate adaptation.

Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform

The CoR hosted the first EU Water Resilience Forum in December 2025. The biannual event was co-organised with the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee EESC. In 2026, the Commission is launching the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, a new informal expert group that will bring together stakeholders and local and regional authorities to support the implementation of priority actions under the Water Resilience Strategy.