European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new European Water initiative during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 16 September, citing the risks that water scarcity poses to farmers, energy and supply chains.
“We know the risks of water scarcity for our farmers, energy and supply chains,” von der Leyen said. “Yet, European pipes lose almost one in every four litres. Mostly through leakage. What a waste. So we will put forward a new European Water initiative because water is precious. For our industry, and for our food security.”
Von der Leyen did not provide further details about the initiative’s scope, timetable or financing.
She also highlighted the importance of water availability to food security. “Crops need water to grow, while livestock need it to survive. Entire harvests depend on it,” she said.
Separately, she announced that the Commission would make proposals to improve agricultural risk management and address the insurance gap facing farmers.
The announcements formed part of a wider package responding to what von der Leyen called Europe’s “summer of truth”, referring to the wildfires, drought and heatwaves recorded across the continent this year. She said the Commission would present a new European Framework for Climate Resilience in October, which will identify “100 of the most vulnerable territories in Europe”.
“Today, only around 25% of catastrophe losses in Europe are covered by private insurance,” she said. “This means that, far too often, national budgets become the insurer of last resort. We need to take action to close this gap.”
The Commission will therefore set up a Climate Insurance Alliance. It will also present a European Heatwave Plan, von der Leyen added.
Industry reaction
Aqua Publica Europea, the European association of public water operators, welcomed the announcements in a statement issued the same day.
“Aqua Publica Europea welcomes the State of the Union address delivered by President Ursula von der Leyen today in Strasbourg,” the association said. “As Europe has witnessed a ‘summer of truth’ with unprecedented droughts, wildfires and heat, we welcome announcements aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting the water sector to them.”
The group cautioned, however, that the new measures need to be reconciled with existing policy, pointing to the European Water Resilience Strategy presented in June 2025.
“While we welcome all initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges facing the water sector, it will be important to understand how the announced measures will fit within the European Water Resilience Strategy unveiled just one year ago, as well as within the existing regulatory framework,” the statement said. “Predictability, policy coherence and alignment between funding mechanisms and ambitions are key to success.”
Aqua Publica Europea also pointed to the scale of the challenge beyond urban water use. Citing European Environment Agency figures, the association said that “only 21% of total water abstraction is linked to public water supply”, compared with 31% for agriculture and 47% for electricity cooling and manufacturing.
The association said public water operators “are already committing to and stepping up massive efforts to improve network efficiency and increase resilience, while ensuring that water remains affordable and that access to clean drinking water and sanitation is available to all”. It also reiterated its position that all water consumers should pay for their consumption.
The statement also flagged the Commission’s ongoing plans to revise the Water Framework Directive, warning that the revision “could undermine water resilience, including in terms of water availability”. Aqua Publica Europea said the focus should instead remain on implementing the existing EU water acquis, including the Polluter Pays Principle.
