Towards Competitive European Water Resilience

Progressive Analytical Centre (PAC) and Association of Waterworks Companies (AVS) would like to invite you for a policy roundtable

Towards Competitive European Water Resilience

Organized under the auspices of Members of the European Parliament
Nils Ušakovs (Committee on Budgets) and
Monika Beňová (Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety & Committee on Public Health)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, Spinelli 5G305, BRUSSELS

26 MARCH 2025, 13:45 – 15:30

A comprehensive report released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in October 2024 reveals that nearly two thirds of EU surface waters are in poor ecological condition, with water scarcity affecting a third of the population annually. Groundwater, supplying two-thirds of EU drinking water, is threatened by pesticides, persistent pollutants like PFAS or pharmaceuticals. The report calls for immediate action to protect ecosystems, address pollution, water scarcity, drought, and flood risks.

The new European Commission (2024-2029) prioritizes water security and tasks the Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, with working on the “European Water Resilience Strategy”. This strategy, expected in Q2 2025 should address water scarcity and pollution while enhancing the competitiveness of the water industry. In this context, the event “Toward Competitive European Water Resilience” aims to discuss the upcoming strategy and offer concrete recommendations to the European Commission based on the insight of both the private and public sectors as well experience coming from the Member State level.

13:45 – 14:00 Registration & Welcome Coffee

14:00 – 14:15 Opening Speech

MEP Nils Ušakovs, Member in BUDG, substitute in TRAN, S&D, Latvia

MEP Monika Beňová, Member in ENVI and SANT, NI, Slovakia

14:15 – 14:30 Keynote Speech – EU Water Resilience Strategy

Veronica Manfredi, Director for Zero Pollution, DG ENV, European Commission (tbc)

14:30 – 15:20 Panel Discussion – Towards Competitive European Water Resilience Environment Attaché, Permanent Representation of Poland to the European Union (tbc)

Milena Angelova, EESC Employers’ Group Vice-President, Rapporteur for the EESC opinion on Water efficient consumption and consumer awareness of their water footprint, Bulgaria

Vazil Hudak, Former Vice-President of European Investment Bank

Ing. Ivana Mahríková, PhD., EUR ING., Head of Office, Association of Waterwork Companies (AVS), Slovakia, Member of EurEau

Denis Bonvillain, Head of EU Affairs at Veolia

Sara Johansson, Senior Policy Officer for Water Pollution Prevention, European Environmental Bureau

15:20 – 15:30 Q&A Session and Closing Remarks by the Moderator

The roundtable will be moderated by Tomáš Petříček, Director of Progressive Analytical Centre and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic