Informationen zur Stellungnahme 

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

- calls on the European Commission to explore the possibilities for an adaptive, more flexible and differentiated water policy, also as part of the upcoming review of the Drinking Water Directive and the legislative proposal on water-reuse, the possible review of the Urban Waste Water Directive and ultimately the review of the Water Framework Directive, with the precautionary and the polluter-pays principles to continue to be used as the starting point, and without leading to more modest ambitions;

- issues concrete recommendations on the focus the European Commission should take in the aforementioned revisions and initiatives, and on actions to carry out to reduce water scarcity and further increase water efficiency;

- notes the tension between the water quality objectives and the Common Agricultural Policy and asks the European Commission to ensure better alignment between these two policy areas, seeking the most efficient, cost-effective and mutually reinforcing compromises;

- calls on the European Commission to further reduce the administrative burden involved in accessing European innovation funds; and to explore the possibility of allowing room for experimentation in situations where restrictions from other policy areas are hampering innovative solutions; stresses the possible benefit of an EU-level European water innovation action agenda;

- draws attention to the increasing use of medicines such as antibiotics and supports an approach focusing on the diffuse sources of residual medications; moreover encourages Member States and local and regional authorities to include in their water policies the concepts of green infrastructure and natural water retention measures; and encourages cities in Europe to sign up to the voluntary Urban Water Agenda 2030.