EU’s water policy map is turned upside down

As parts of the UK this summer deal with the worst floods on record, the European Commission is preparing a response to droughts and water shortages that crippled the EU four years ago.

Record high temperatures in 2003 were blamed for the deaths of several thousand people in France and water shortages around the EU. The fear of a shortage of water for cooling capacity even led to fears that power plants would have to be temporarily closed down. A Commission communication on 18 July will start talks on ways to soften the impact of future droughts and heatwaves, and on the possibility of a future EU common drought policy.

Portugal says that it will make the issue a priority of its six-month EU presidency, which began on Monday (1 July).

"Water scarcity and drought is…a problem that will increasingly be faced at EU level," according to a statement from the Portuguese environment ministry. "Portugal will strive to give a European dimen-sion to this problem."

An informal Environment Council on 1 September will hear ministers discuss the Commission communication and the problem of droughts in Europe.

Germany also made water policy a priority of its EU presidency in the months before Portugal took over. Under Germany a new EU flood management directive was agreed, to draw up flood risk assessments and develop management plans.

The management plans are to be finalised in 2015 - too late to make a difference to the citizens of Sheffield in the UK, where hundreds remain homeless following floods last month.

But Germany welcomed the deal, which aims significantly to reduce the risk of flood damage in the future. It could also offer a model if member states agree than an EU drought policy is needed.

Environment ministers on 28 June agreed new water quality standards, setting up reduction and phase-out targets for priority water pollutants.

Germany also hosted a conference on climate change and the European water dimension in February, to discuss the need for adaptation plans in water-related sectors.

Scientists say that it is impossible to prove a link between climate change and either floods or the heatwave of 2003. But UN expert reports say extreme weather events are more likely as global temperatures rise.

Commenting on the floods in Britain and high temperatures in Greece this year, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas last week said: "These are the kind of extreme weather events that we will witness. They will become more deadly over the next few years because of climate change."

His comments came as the Commission published a policy paper stressing the need for adaptation policies to tackle the effects of climate change, including water shortages.

In the meantime, the Commission is struggling to make member states comply with the legislation they already have.

A report from the Commission this year found that most member states had still not fully transposed the water framework directive, which was agreed in 2000.

The directive aims to achieve a good level of water quality in all EU inland and coastal waters by 2015 but countries are divided over the best way to put this into practice.

EU water policy concerns extend beyond the borders of Europe, forming a key part of development strategies. And an upcoming maritime strategy, expected under the Portuguese presidency, will put pressure on member states to work together on policies affecting the oceans and seas.

‘World Water Week’ in Stockholm in 12-18 August will give all interested parties the chance to discuss the importance of water in every sector, from agriculture to sanitation, as well as the challenges of extreme weather events.

As parts of the UK this summer deal with the worst floods on record, the European Commission is preparing a response to droughts and water shortages that crippled the EU four years ago.