17
Oct
2023
Watch
Water scarcity and structural investments in access to water in the EU (debate)
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, no one is left behind. Let's not leave anyone behind. This is the motto we use in the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) of the European Parliament, but many European citizens feel left behind when faced with everyday realities. We have regions where, although they are a few kilometers from rivers, people have tap water only a few hours a day or use their own fountains. The infrastructure that needs to bring water into their homes is outdated or even doesn't exist. The climate is changing and many regions feel it every summer, when dry wells and old irrigation channels no longer bring the water they need for crops. Solutions are needed at European level, because water scarcity is a problem that concerns the whole of the European Union. It is a matter of food and health safety. Member States cannot be left to deal with each other as they can and as they know. We need a European strategy and projects for sustainable solutions.