Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the European Innovation Partnership on Water

Floods, water scarcity and droughts have enormous environmental, social and economic impacts. Insufficient water quality levels pose threats for public health and bio-diversity and the supply of safe drinking water and sanitation still poses problems, both within Europe and outside. To sustainably manage the increasing pressures on water resources, new and innovative approaches are needed.

The European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) as proposed in the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative "Innovation Union" provides for a strategic approach and framework to address the weaknesses in the European research and innovation system to speed up innovations that make a significant contribution to solving societal challenges. In doing so, Europe's competitiveness should be enhanced, contributing to job creation and economic growth.

EIPs are a means to pool expertise and resources on key political priorities by mobilising and linking up all relevant stakeholders across policies, sectors and borders to bring the benefits of breakthroughs and innovation to people more quickly.

The importance of innovation in the field of water management is recognized by the EU Member States. On 21 June 2011, the Council of the European Union invited the Commission to 'investigate an innovation partnership on water in close cooperation with the Member States, with a view to achieving sustainable and efficient use of water'.

The importance for Europe to engage in the sustainable management of water as a key resource is underlined in the Europe 2020 Resource efficient Europe flagship initiative. The Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe highlights the efficiency gains that can be made.

A Blueprint to safeguard Europe's waters, the water milestone on the Resource efficiency Roadmap, is being developed by the Commission. The Blueprint will present, by the end of 2012, the policy response to the challenges of the implementation issues and gaps related to the current framework of EU water resource management policy. The Blueprint and the EIP will be developed in close coordination to ensure integration of innovative approaches and innovation demand side measures in developing and realizing EU water resource management policy.

Furthermore, the EIP will build on the Eco-Innovation Action Plan, which focuses on boosting innovation that results in or aims at reducing pressures on the environment and on bridging the gap between innovation and the market.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)216: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:216:FIN

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