9
Sep
2025
Watch
Cohesion policy (joint debate)
Madam President, I welcome the efforts of the European Commission and personally Vice-President Fito to make water sustainability a strategic priority in the framework of the mid-term review of cohesion policy. Responding to the current challenges will require heavy financial resources and stronger coordination between institutions, in particular in Member States where water losses exceed average European levels. There, we need to invest in new water sources, build modern water infrastructure, create real incentives to retain people, especially in vulnerable and depopulating regions, through new jobs and access to clean water. I believe it is time to start a strategic conversation about the place of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in the future of the water sector as tools for more precise management, early warning and monitoring, including with regard to wastewater recovery, which remains a serious challenge. I hope that water will not remain just a priority within cohesion policy, but will receive a stronger focus in the new multiannual financial framework. I am convinced that cohesion policy is a chance to turn challenges into opportunities.