Following the adoption of the European Water Resilience Strategy, the first Water Resilience Forum will bring together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and civil society to chart the path toward a water-resilient EU by 2050.
The forum is organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR), with the participation of Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, the President of the CoR, Kata Tüttő, and the President of the EESC, Séamus Boland.
Europe is facing increasing water scarcity, water quality degradation, and climate-related threats to both human well-being and economic competitiveness. The forum will tackle these challenges head-on through dedicated sessions on financing innovative water solutions, strengthening industrial competitiveness through water resilience, and scaling water efficiency from local to global action. The forum will also address urban water challenges, digital transformation opportunities, and upskilling initiatives essential for building the water-secure Europe envisioned by 2050. Each session will bring together key stakeholders to identify concrete pathways for accelerating implementation and fostering the coordinated action needed to achieve water security for all.
The registration for the forum is now closed.
Online streaming will be available throughout the event on this page. Commissioner Roswall will be available to speak to media.
- water protection | environmental protection | environmental policy
- Monday 8 December 2025, 10:00 - 17:30 (CET)
- Brussels, Belgium
Programme
- 8 Dec 2025, 08:30 - 10:00 (CET)Registration and welcome coffee
8:30-10:00 - Registration and welcome coffee
- 10:00 - 10:30 (CET)High Level Opening Session (room JDE 52)
Opening remarks by:
▪ Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
▪ Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
▪ Kata Tüttő, President of the Committee of the Regions
▪ Séamus Boland, President of the European Economic and Social Committee
▪ Ida Hannibal, Deputy permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment of Denmark
- 10:30 - 11:00 (CET)Plenary session: Stocktaking (room JDE 52)
▪ Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
▪ Thomas Bajada, Member of the European Parliament
▪ Henk Ovink, Executive Director Commissioner, Global Commission on Economics of Water
- 11:00 - 11:30 (CET)Media slot with Commissioner Roswall
Online streaming will be available throughout the event on this page. Commissioner Roswall will be available to speak to media.
- 11:00 - 11:30 (CET)Coffee break, change of rooms and photo opportunity
- 11:30 - 13:00 (CET)Parallel breakout sessions: Solutions Marketplace - From Strategy to Action (parallel breakout sessions)
Session 2.1: Water Efficiency: From Farm to Factory, Local to Global Action (room JDE 52)
Rapporteurs
▪ Agnese Danelon, Vice-President, Ecolab
▪ Trine Christiansen, Head of Group for Freshwater and Environment, European Environment Agency
Panellists
▪ Xavier Girre, CEO of SUEZ Group
▪ Naoufel Menadi, CEO Leviathan Dynamics
▪ Inge Genné, Director Water Reuse Europe
▪ Prof Danilo Demarchi, Polytechnic University of Turin
Click here to watch the webstream
Session 2.2: Financing the Way to Water Resilience (room JDE 53)
Rapporteurs
▪ Magdalena Rzeczkowska, Member of European Economic and Social Committee
▪ Karl Vanlouwe, Member of the Committee of the Regions
Panellists
▪ Edouard Pérard, Head of the Division for Water, European Investment Bank
▪ Ben Townsend, Global Head of Infrastructure Strategy and Sustainability, Google
▪ Tim Segboer, Senior advisor regulatory & corporate affairs Dutch Water Bank
▪ Job van Schelven, partner, PureTerra Watertech Growth Fund
Click here to watch the webstream
Session 2.3: Industrial challenges on the way to zero pollution and net-zero targets - How the Water Resilience Strategy can boost EU competitiveness (room JDE 51)
Rapporteurs
▪ Durk Krol, Executive Director, Water Europe
▪ Alain Coheur, President of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee
Panellists
▪ Ioana Blaj, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Manager, CEFIC
▪ Lars Lindén, CEO, Ragn-Sells
▪ Hanno Balzer, Senior Vice President of Project Development, Permits & Infrastructure and Energy & Asset Management, H2apex
▪ Pär Dalhielm, President EurEau
- 13:00 - 14:00 (CET)Lunch and Water Resilience Solutions Pavilion
- 14:00 - 15:30 (CET)Parallel breakout sessions: Solutions Marketplace
Session 3.1: Urban Water Resilience (room JDE 51)
Rapporteurs
▪ Marieke Schouten, Member of the Committee of the Regions▪ Hildegard Bentele, Member of the European Parliament
Panellists
▪ Ans Mol-van de Camp, Regional Minister of the Province of Gelderland, Member of the Committee of the Regions
▪ Balázs Borkovits, Coordinator Sponge Cities Project
▪ Agustín Reyna, Director-General, BEUC (European Consumer Organisation)
▪ Herman Afzelius, PFAS Association of Kallinge
Click here to watch the webstream
Session 3.2: Upskilling for Water Resilience: Inception for the European Water Academy (room JDE 52)
Rapporteurs
▪ Alessandra Zampieri, Director for Sustainable Resources, Joint Research Centre, European Commission▪ Gabriëlle Knufman, CEO, World Water Academy
Panellists
▪ Milo Fiasconaro, Executive Director, Aqua Publica Europa
▪ Arthur Guischet, Secretary General, European Water Association
▪ Dr Klara Ramm, EurEau Executive Committee member and General Assembly Representative for Poland
▪ Katerina Schilling, Secretary-General, International Association of Water Utilities in the Danube
Click here to watch the webstream
Session 3.3: Digital Transformation for Water Management (room JDE 53)
Rapporteurs
▪ Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands▪ Vincenzo Renda, Director for Digital Transformation, Digital Europe
Panellists
▪ Andrea Cominola, Professor of Smart Water Networks, Technical University Berlin
▪ Adam Cartwright, Director Industry Strategy: Water and Wastewater Software, Siemens
▪ Gaetane Suzenet, Vice Chair - Scientific and Technological Board Water4All
▪ Bernardo Matos, Senior Director EU Government Relations, Bentley Systems
- 15:30 - 16:00 (CET)Break
- 16:00 - 16:45 (CET)Plenary Session: Feedback and Pathways to Action (room JDE 52)
Rapporteurs from breakout sessions present key conclusions and commitments
▪ Manuela Geleng, Director, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion – Way forward for the European Water Academy
▪ Eric Mamer, Director-General, DG Environment – Key takeaways, statement on the next steps for the Water Resilience Strategy
- 16:45 - 17:00 (CET)Closing Remarks (room JDE 52)
▪ Jessika Roswall Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
▪ President Séamus Boland for the European Economic and Social Committee
▪ President Kata Tüttő for the Committee of the Regions
- 17:00 - 18:00 (CET)Networking cocktail and Water Resilience Solutions Pavilion
Practical information
- When
- Monday 8 December 2025, 10:00 - 17:30 (CET)
- Where
- Jacques Delors BuildingRue Belliard 101, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Languages
- English
Description
The sessions will cover the following strategic themes:
- Water Efficiency - From Local to Global Action
- Financing the Way to Water Resilience
- Industrial Challenges and Opportunities – How can the Water Resilience Strategy boost EU competitiveness
- Urban Water Resilience
- Upskilling for Water Resilience: Building Competencies and Sharing Best Practices Across the EU
- Digital Transformation for Water Management
The forum will feature an exhibition area showcasing cutting-edge water technologies and innovations, best practice examples from Member States and regions, research and innovation projects supported by EU funding programs, digital solutions and smart water management tools and nature-based solutions for water resilience.