EurEau welcomes the European Water initiative but warns against unnecessary additional regulatory layers

EurEau welcomes the State of the European Union's announcement to put water and water security higher on the European political agenda and looks forward to seeing the details of the new European Water Initiative, the NGO said on 16 September 2026.

During her address to the MEPs in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recognised that water is “precious” for industry and food security.

Even if the risks of water scarcity are known, she pointed out that “European pipes lose almost one in every four litres, mostly through leakage”.

According to Oliver Loebel, EurEau Secretary General, “leakage is not simply water being wasted. It is a sign of the enormous infrastructure challenge facing Europe, a challenge that we have been highlighting for many years”.

He added that…