Water Resilience Strategy – Updates and EUSTAFOR’s contribution to the Call for Evidence

The EC is preparing the new European Water Resilience Strategy; a key political demand made by the president Von Der Leyen to the Commissioner Roswall at the beginning of the mandate. The new European Water Resilience Strategy  is expected to be published early June.

The overall goal of the European water resilience strategy is to set a clear path towards water security and resilience, while better integrating water considerations across different policies and sources of funding. It also aims to scale up investments, leverage research and innovation and close the skills gap, taking account of social impacts and territorial differences to ensure a just transition.  The Commission called for a public consultation on a call for evidence to begin the process in which EUSTAFOR contributed.

EUSTAFOR Highlights Forests’ Crucial Role in Europe’s Water Resilience

EUSTAFOR has responded to the European Commission’s public call for evidence on the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy (EWRS), underlining the critical role of forests in maintaining Europe’s water balance.

As natural water regulators, forests contribute to groundwater recharge, streamflow regulation, and flood prevention while filtering pollutants and improving soil stability. However, climate change, increasing water demands, and land-use changes are putting forests under growing pressure.

EUSTAFOR calls for the integration of sustainable forest management into water policies to enhance water resilience, emphasising the need for region-specific approaches that reflect local climate and land-use conditions. Forests not only store and filter water but also consume it, particularly in drier regions, highlighting the need for careful management to balance water provision and ecosystem health.

The response also underscores the importance of active forest management to mitigate flood risks, preserve water quality, and adapt to climate change impacts. EUSTAFOR recommends stronger cooperation between forest, water, and agricultural sectors, financial support for water-smart forestry, and research into the water impacts of different forest management techniques.

Forests are essential allies in Europe’s water future, and their sustainable management must be a core pillar of the European Water Resilience Strategy.

Parliament’s own initiative report procedure

The main committee in charge of this report has been the Committee of environment. it has been working parallel to the open consultation procedure by the EC and their work on their own initiative Report aiming at influencing the commission’s text.

The file was assigned to S&D MEP Tomas Bajada from Malta. Originally the report had no mentions on forest or forestry, however along with the the Committee of Agriculture’s opinion and subsequent amendments a high risk that old growth forests and protective ecosystem services would become the main function of forests and there was a clear tendency towards strict protection.

The Committee of Environment and also Agri have both been debating on the and final compromised text and this mid April the final report has been published.

Final Committee of Environment’s Motion for Resolution

EUSTAFOR approached MEP and shared their Call for evidence contribution and it seems that the main key conflicting points were addressed.

In short, in the final report, mentions towards old-growth forests, close to nature forestry, set aside forests as well as “intactness” and restoration have been removed. The report has taken a more sound approach and is aligned with EUSTAFOR’s contributions advocating for active and designed forest management as it can be read on paragraph 75:

“…thoroughly designed forest management measures can improve watershed health, regulate water flow and reduce drought and flood stress, given the essential role of trees and forests in water cycle regulation, through their ability to purify water, increase the availability of water resources and improve soil moisture retention; proposes that this be duly considered when the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States…”

Next steps

On 6 May, MEPs of the European Parliament voted in plenary on the Own-Initiative Report regarding the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy, as well as the plenary amendments tabled to it.

The Resolution was adopted with 470 votes in favour, 81 against and 92 abstentions. The EC is expected to present their first draft on the strategy by the 8th of June.

EUSTAFOR will be actively following the proposal. all the related documents and this report can be consulted here or on the side pannel.