Dirk Sterckx, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – (NL) Mr President, of course, our first sympathies lie with the victims. In my country, four people have drowned and I hear that in other countries, too, hundreds and thousands of people have suffered enormous financial and emotional losses to their businesses and homes. Our first thoughts go out to them, of course. In recent weeks, months, even years, a large number of Member States have encountered problems with water, that is, with flooding. I have a question for the Commission. Do you think that, in assessing these events, it would be useful to bring together experts from various Member States, from various regions, and give them the opportunity to tell us what their opinions are about what has happened, so that we can get a better insight into the causes? It is a very complicated matter, but, in my view, if we can get to the bottom of the causes, we will also be able to discuss remedies with those experts. In my view, a risk analysis of each river basin, such as those we have carried out for the environment in the Water Directive, would be appropriate. We also need to consult them about preventative measures. How can we prevent such a disaster happening again? Because, we are still expecting some heavy rain and it will be concentrated in particular areas; that has, after all, been the cause of the flooding. Finally, if we then experience a new emergency, we will need to ensure that we are able to take better coordinated measures to improve water disposal. I would like to ask the Commission to bring experts together so that we can properly assess the recent disasters.