Aquawareness Progress

The Water Vision for Europe has been launched in summer 2008 and acknowledged in wider Europe. Supported by the European Commission, the European Parliament, European Presidency as well as leading multinationals the Vision aspires to become a reality for everybody. Since the launch several activities were pursued - throughout Europe regional workshops on the Water Vision for Europe gave an insight into the regional priorities, challenges and solutions Europe's water is facing. These findings were presented globally during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul in March this year.

The EWP has started now a strategic policy review process in a multi stakeholder approach to identify the major strenghts and weaknesses as well as key actions needed to implement the Vision aims by 2030:

"We have achieved sustainable water resource management and universal access to modern and safe water supply and sanitation because we value water in all its dimensions - in its economic, social, environmental and cultural importance."

The workshop will be opened by an introductory speech by Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environmental Agency to give an overview on future challenges in the water area and ideas for action. This speech will be followed by short input statements from the various stakeholder perspectives

• Mrs. Cristina Gutierrez Cortines (MEP)

• Mrs. Brigitte Dittrich-Kraemer (Sustainability Center BASF)

• Mr. Sergey Moroz (Water Policy Officer WWF)

• Mr. Thomas Kluge (Head of Department, Water and Sustainable Environmental Planning ISOE)

• Mr. Juan Manuel Revuelta (Director, Valencian Regional Office Brussels)

on what they suggest as concrete key actions and necessary policy developments within Europe's water agenda to be realised.

The second half of this workshop will focus on elaborating policy recommendations in an interactive discourse with the workshop participants. This workshop will serve as a preparation for creating a strategic policy paper to be presented and handed over to European decision makers during the Aquawareness Policy Forum, January 2010.