Today, rising sea levels place coastal cities under constant threat. An estimated 250 million people currently live on land below projected annual flood levels, often in coastal cities such as London, Lagos, Mumbai or Shanghai; and this number may rise to 630 million by the end of the century. An additional 318 million people have been displaced since 2018, due to climate disasters. Could it be that, instead of humankind fleeing from water, building on it could serve as a better long-term solution? What would the creation of entire water cities entail for societies, economies and the environment? What if populations could live on water instead of facing displacement and migration? The combined effects of climate change, land subsidence and accelerated urbanisation could force us to rethink the use of water surfaces on Earth as potential settlement areas, as an alternative to an Earth surface made uninhabitable by over-population and climate catastrophes.

EPRS STOA podcast - What if we built cities on water?

Vous aimez la natation en extérieur, la plongée ou le surf? Voyons ce que fait l’Europe pour vous garantir des loisirs sans danger.

Voici ce que l’Europe fait pour les amateurs de sports aquatiques.

The Drinking Water Directive sets quality standards for drinking water and requires that Member States ensure monitoring and compliance with these standards.

The plans aim to increase citizens’ confidence in the water supply and increase the use of tap water for drinking, which could contribute to reducing plastic usage and litter.

According to the European Commission, lower consumption of bottled water could help EU households save more than €600 million per year. If confidence in tap water improves, citizens can also contribute to reducing plastic waste from bottled water, including marine litter. Plastic bottles are one of the most common single use plastic items found on European beaches. With the update of the Drinking Water Directive, the Commission takes an important legislative step towards implementing the EU Plastics Strategy presented on 16 January 2018.

Water quality - 8th parliamentary term

The Drinking Water Directive sets quality standards for drinking water and requires that Member States ensure monitoring and compliance with these standards.

The plans aim to increase citizens’ confidence in the water supply and increase the use of tap water for drinking, which could contribute to reducing plastic usage and litter.

If confidence in tap water improves, citizens can also contribute to reducing plastic waste from bottled water, including marine litter. Plastic bottles are one of the most common single use plastic items found on European beaches. With the update of the Drinking Water Directive, the Commission takes an important legislative step towards implementing the EU Plastics Strategy presented on 16 January 2018.

See more on this topic by visiting our <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/water-quality-8th-parliamentary-term_9403_pk">package</a> for the 8th parliamentary term.

Water quality

The drinking water directive achieved the update of a list of parameters to monitor drinking water, in line with technical and scientific progress. The vote on this report, adopted on 28 March 2019, closes Parliament’s first reading, which reached its position in October 2018.
Two other aspects include the importance of transparency for citizens and consumers as regards water quality, and the improvement of accessibility to drinking water for everyone.

#EUelections2019 - Drinking water quality

STOA Workshop ' Knowledge and innovation community on water, marine and maritime  '

Parliamentary Assembly – Union for the Mediterranean - Environment and water committee

Press conference on the drinking water directive

Atlantique du Nord-Est: stocks d'eau profonde et pêche dans les eaux internationales (débat)

North-East Atlantic: deep-sea stocks and fishing in international waters (debate)

Exploitation du potentiel du transport de voyageurs par voie d'eau (brève présentation)

Unleashing the potential of waterborne passenger transport (short presentation)

EYE 2016 - Skills gap: Bridge over troubled water

UNKN

NAIADES II: programme d'action pour le développement du transport par voies navigables (débat)

NAIADES II: An action programme to support inland waterway transport (debate)

Attribution de contrats de concession - Passation des marchés publics - Passation de marchés par des entités opérant dans les secteurs de l'eau, de l'énergie, des transports et des services postaux (débat)

Award of concession contracts - Public procurement - Procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors (debate)

Atlantique du Nord-Est: stocks d'eau profonde et pêche dans les eaux internationales - Situation de la pêche du maquereau dans l'Atlantique du Nord-Est (débat)

North-East Atlantic: deep-sea stocks and fishing in international waters - Status of the North-East Atlantic mackerel fishery (debate)

Bateaux de plaisance et véhicules nautiques à moteur (débat)

Recreational craft and personal watercraft (debate)

Les restrictions en matière de pêche et les eaux territoriales en Méditerranée et dans la mer Noire - méthodes de résolution des conflits (brève présentation)

Fisheries restrictions and jurisdictional waters in the Mediterranean and Black Sea - conflict resolution (short presentation)

Politique de l'eau: substances prioritaires (débat)

Priority substances in the field of water policy (debate)

Implementation of EU water legislation (debate)

6e Forum mondial de l'eau (débat)

6th World Water Forum (debate)

Droits des passagers dans le transport par autobus et autocar - Droits des passagers voyageant par mer ou par voie de navigation intérieure (débat)

Rights of passengers in bus and coach transport - Rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway (debate)

Droits des passagers voyageant par mer ou par voie de navigation intérieure - Droits des passagers dans le transport par autobus et autocar (débat)

Rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway - Rights of passengers in bus and coach transport (debate)

Cinquième Forum mondial de l'eau, Istanbul, 16-22 mars 2009 (débat)

5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, 16-22 March 2009 (debate)

Peace with Water

EP Plenary session - Water crisis and droughts in the EU as a consequence of the global climate crisis and the need for a sustainable, resilient water strategy for Europe

EP Plenary session - Council and Commission statements - Water scarcity and structural investments in access to water in the EU

EP Plenary session - Urban wastewater treatment

EP Plenary session - Surface water and groundwater pollutants

EP Plenary session - The water crisis in Europe

D-IL Delegation meeting - Exchange of views on EU - Israel cooperation on water management and climate action in the context of the EU’s Green Deal

AGRI ENVI Joint Public hearing on ' Sustainable management of water resources in agriculture '

EP Plenary session - Topical debate - Keeping people healthy, water drinkable and soil liveable: getting rid of forever pollutants and strengthening EU chemical legislation now

EP Plenary session - Access to water as a human right – the external dimension

TRAN Committee - Meeting of the Tourism Task Force: Exchange of views with Philip Easthill, Roberto Perocchio, Pedro Mendes, George Vernicos, Nicolas Delaporte,  experts on advancing on-water recreation and tourism

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - Water legislation

ENVI - Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety - Water directive

Plenary session - Quality of water intended for human consumption

TRAN Committee - Hearing: Role of inland waterways in the intermodal transport system

Plenary session - Minimum requirements for water reuse

Plenary session - Multiannual plan for stocks fished in the Western Waters and adjacent waters, and for fisheries exploiting those stocks

ENVI committee - Vote on Minimum requirements for water reuse

This infoclip illustrates the new rules that provide an updated list of acts related to the environment that qualify as criminal offences at EU level and of the related sanctions, to ensure a more effective enforcement of EU environmental legislation. This item shows extracts from Iaw suits, courts, ecosystems, invasive species, forest fires, environmental pollution, water waste and treatment, ships and gas companies.

Infoclip: Environmental protection through criminal law

Cet été, plages, rivières et lacs sont des destinations prisées pour les vacances ! Plus de 95 % des 22 000 sites testés répondent aux normes minimales de l’UE pour les eaux de baignade. 9 plages sur 10 en Europe ont une qualité de l’eau excellente selon le rapport de 2022 de l’Agence européenne pour l'environnement. Le Parlement européen défend des normes exigeantes en matière d’eaux de baignade.

C’est l’été ! Les eaux de l’UE toujours plus propres

MEPs debate and call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. For several decades, the EU has developed a framwork for preventing and mitigating water scarcity and nox, the Parliament and the Member States are currently working on a revision of several EU water policy measures, following a proposal on integrated water management of surface and groundwater pollutants. Closing statement by Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy.

The water crisis in Europe: closing statement by Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy

MEPs debate and call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. For several decades, the EU has developed a framwork for preventing and mitigating water scarcity and nox, the Parliament and the Member States are currently working on a revision of several EU water policy measures, following a proposal on integrated water management of surface and groundwater pollutants. Third part of the debate.

The water crisis in Europe: MEPs debate (part 3)

MEPs debate and call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. For several decades, the EU has developed a framwork for preventing and mitigating water scarcity and nox, the Parliament and the Member States are currently working on a revision of several EU water policy measures, following a proposal on integrated water management of surface and groundwater pollutants. Second part of the debate.

The water crisis in Europe: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs debate and call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. For several decades, the EU has developed a framwork for preventing and mitigating water scarcity and nox, the Parliament and the Member States are currently working on a revision of several EU water policy measures, following a proposal on integrated water management of surface and groundwater pollutants. First part of the debate.

The water crisis in Europe: MEPs debate (part 1)

MEPs debate and call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. For several decades, the EU has developed a framwork for preventing and mitigating water scarcity, the Parliament and the Member States are currently working on a revision of several EU water policy measures, following a proposal on integrated water management of surface and groundwater pollutants. Opening statement by Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

The water crisis in Europe: opening statement by Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy

MEPs debate with Commission growing water scarcity and droughts ahead of the summer season. MEPs call for increased action to preserve and improve EU water resources, already affected by several years of dry conditions and diminishing groundwater levels. The impact of the emerging drought is already visible in France, Spain, and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production. Extracts from the debate.

The water crisis in Europe: extracts from the debate

During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by heat waves. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said it seemed to be Europe's worst year in 500 years, which was confirmed by the Global Drought Observatory. The footage shows dried-out agricultural fields, cracked earth, agricultural irrigation of fields and dried riverbeds and watercourses.

Infoclip: Climate change - Drought situation in Europe

Pablo left the comfort of his native Spain early in life to seek professional opportunities in other European countries. His journey so far has turned out to be more than just a search for a better life... Let's watch him tell his story!

Europe Day | Pablo’s story: ‘In your own country, you swim like a fish in water’

Pablo verliet op jonge leeftijd zijn thuisland Spanje voor een carrière in andere Europese landen. De weg die hij tot nu toe heeft afgelegd is meer dan alleen een zoektocht naar een beter leven ... Bekijk zijn volledige verhaal!

Europadag | het verhaal van Pablo: “In je eigen cultuur en land leef je als een vis in het water”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced hundreds of thousands of people, mostly women and children, to flee the country and seek shelter in neighbouring countries. As the humanitarian situation deteriorates, children are particularly vulnerable. According to the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef), the war is posing an immediate and growing threat to Ukraine’s 7.5 million children. Since 24 February, 2 million children have fled the country, but there are still up to 5.5 million children trapped in Ukraine (data on 30 March 2022). With growing numbers of attacks on schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, where many people have been sheltering, these children are in grave danger and are vulnerable to injury or death, as well as being deprived of food, clean water, education and health care... Restrictions: ©The material may not be edited and must be shown entirely.

EPRS - Ukraine's children

33 000 people die in Europe every year from untreated infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This number could increase tenfold by 2050. By then, antibiotic resistance will surpass cancer as the second biggest cause of death worldwide. Without working antibiotics, we could return to a “pre-antibiotic era”, where infections from surgeries or cancer treatments, and even simple infections would no longer be possible to treat.Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics when we use the wrong antibiotic or abuse antibiotics to treat an infection. We can acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria from eating meat from animals treated with antibiotics or by being exposed to contaminated water. Antibiotic resistance also impacts livestock, agriculture and food production, causing a serious economic burden that costs the EU €1.5 billion per year... Restrictions: ©The material may not be edited and must be shown entirely.

EPRS - Fighting antibiotic resistance

On 8th March, European Commission put forward a proposal for Cohesion's Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE). It introduces changes to current cohesion policy rules to allow a swift reallocation of available funding to help Member States to provide emergency support (temporary accommodation, food and water supplies, medical care or education) to people fleeing from Russian aggression in Ukraine. Younous OMARJEE (The Left, FR), Chair of Committee on Regional Development and Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms on Parliament's hold a press conference following the vote on CARE.

Press conference by Younous OMARJEE (The Left, FR), Chair of REGI Committee, and Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms on Parliament's vote on Cohesion's Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE):

This infoclip illustrates activities in ports and transport on water

Infoclip: Inland waterway transport

During the plenary session (13-16 September 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs listen to the short presentation on the report Towards Future-proof Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) in Europe. Statements by Caroline NAGTEGAAL (Renew, NL), rapporteur and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs.

Short presentation on the report Towards Future-proof Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) in Europe: statements by Caroline NAGTEGAAL (Renew, NL), rapporteur and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs

Une baignade rafraîchissante en plein été? Quel bonheur! Le Parlement européen veille à la propreté des eaux de baignade en Europe. C’est pourquoi la qualité de l’eau des sites de baignade est testée régulièrement afin que vous soyez informés des sites de baignade les plus sûrs en Europe. Profitez des vagues!

Nager en toute sécurité dans les eaux européennes

In order to achieve the ambitious goals of the Union to reduce the CO2 emissions, it will be important to unleash the full potential of the inland waterway transport. Members of the EP Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) meet in Brussels to vote on Towards Future-proof Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) in Europe. Statement by Caroline NAGTEGAAL (Renew, NL), rapporteur.

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