At a press conference held on Friday at the Għajn National Water Conservation Centre, MEP Thomas Bajada urged EU member states to increase funding to ensure clean and affordable water for all citizens.
Earlier in the week, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted in favour of Bajada’s report, which outlined a series of recommendations for the forthcoming European Water Resilience Strategy.
The report highlighted the urgent need to strengthen water management, reduce pollution, and establish a dedicated EU budget line for water resilience under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Bajada spoke about the importance of raising awareness about the scarcity of water. “Seventy per cent of our water comes from a desalination plant. Imagine if those desalination plants stopped working tomorrow,” Bajada warned.
The report built on findings from a previous European Environment Agency (EEA) study, which revealed substantial water waste in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
A key priority of the report was also the reduction of harmful “forever chemicals” such as PFAS, which are increasingly being detected in water supplies.
The final vote on the report is scheduled to take place in the European Parliament on 6 May. Furthermore, In June, the European Commission is expected to publish two major strategies: the European Water Resilience Strategy and the Ocean Pact.
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