Drinking water

24.6.2016

Question for written answer E-005086-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Andrej Plenković (PPE)

Water is a key resource for life; without secure access to drinking water, it is not possible to plan either how to develop or how to achieve the goals set in the Europe 2020 strategy. Industrial and agricultural development, pollution, the impact of climate change and geostrategic relations (according to the UN, 11% of the world's population does not have access to drinking water) are threats to water resources.

Croatia is among the richest Member States in fresh water resources available per capita, with more than 25 000 cubic litres of fresh water per capita, i.e. 111.7 billion cubic litres in total reserves, according to Eurostat. It is our wish and obligation to protect these resources more adequately. In 2015 the Commission published, in accordance with the obligations of the Water Framework Directive, an interim report on the progress made to date by the Member States, which shows that only 23% of the basic measures under the Water Framework Directive have been implemented at EU level.

Taking into account all the Member States' national reports, what are the European Union's total fresh water resources and to what extent are they threatened and subject to change, considering the Member States' economic and agricultural development along with the impact of climate change and pollution? What is the Commission doing to accelerate the implementation of the measures under the Water Framework Directive in the Member States?