Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Change 5

Changed(c) support partner countries’ efforts to create a legal environment and a conducive policy for collaborative water management and strengthen the role of transnational water governance plays in EU external action and diplomacy and to this enddiplomacy; provide the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Delegations around the worldworld, to this end, with the appropriate financial and human resources to initiate and accompanysupport transboundary water management and diplomacy activities on the groundground, within and between partner countries;countries, and foster the development and implementation of blue diplomacy;

Change 6

Removed(d) ensure increased and steady funding for EU transboundary water management in EU external action under the next multiannual financial framework;

Added(d) ensure adequate and efficient funding for EU transboundary water management in EU external action under the next multiannual financial framework through the Global Europe and Global Gateway instruments; strengthen the tailoring of EU external investments in water and sanitation access to fragile and conflict-affected contexts, in order to support peace and resilience, including through increased financing for global access to climate-resilient and sustainable water management and water sanitation infrastructure; ensure that the infrastructure and energy projects financed by EU development cooperation and external policy instruments, including the European Investment Bank, continue to be fully in line with international law, do not undermine transborder water relations, equal access and sustainable management, and facilitate people’s access to their land, notably indigenous people; align the funding with the global flagship actions of the EU’s first Water Resilience Strategy;

Removed(e) expand the geographic scope of EU transboundary water governance projects beyond Africa and Central Asia to the Americas, the Middle East and North Africa, and East and South Asia through a Team Europe approach;

Added(e) recognise and strengthen support for the crucial work carried out by environmental rights defenders and civil society organisations in favour of water preservation, equal access and transboundary water governance; closely involve local environmental rights defenders and civil society organisations in EU support for transnational water governance in non-EU countries and promote their safety and freedom to operate without violence and intimidation; increase support for non-governmental organisations active in the fields of water diplomacy, conflict prevention and transboundary water cooperation, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected regions, recognising their important role in facilitating dialogue at local and regional level, supporting community-based water management, promoting trust-building and contributing to sustainable and inclusive water governance initiatives;

Removed(f) strengthen multilateral cooperation on water, notably within the UN by continuing and stepping up the globalisation of the UN Water Convention and supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG6 on clean water and sanitation;

Added(f) expand the geographic scope of EU transboundary water governance projects beyond certain parts of Africa and Central Asia to the Americas, the Middle East and North Africa, and East and South Asia through a Team Europe approach, in particular where water insecurity may contribute to instability and displacement;

Removed(g) invest in a more transparent overview of all ongoing EU support dedicated to the promotion of transboundary water management internationally and ensure the coherence and streamlining of all work and funding across all relevant Directorates-General and between the EEAS and the Commission;

Added(g) strengthen sustainable water and waste-water management by systematically integrating cooperation on infrastructure, technologies and expertise into partnerships and development programmes; support capacity building and institutional strengthening in partner countries to improve the planning, governance and maintenance of water and sanitation services, including through partnerships with local authorities, public services, civil society and community-based organisations; tailor infrastructure investments to local and historical contexts in order to turn water into an instrument of peace and stability;

Removed(h) work wherever possible to ensure clean and high-quality water, promote sustainable water management and implement various innovative water technologies, including nature-based solutions;

Added(h) strengthen multilateral cooperation on water, notably within the UN by continuing and stepping up the globalisation of the UN Water Convention and supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, and addressing significant inequalities between and within countries in accessing water and sanitation; ensure the continued implementation of the EU’s commitments from the 2023 UN Water Conference, while preserving these ambitions and actions in preparation for the 2026 UN Water Conference; intensify multilevel dialogues with countries located within conflict-prone basins, including summits and joint initiatives, as well as long-term cooperation formats;

Removed(i) ensure that EU water initiatives worldwide address the persisting data gaps and lack of data sharing between governments by means of equipping partner countries with technical and physical resources to monitor water levels and the quality of transboundary basins effectively, and by exchanging data and fostering common standards for data collection between partner countries in order to increase compatibility;

Added(i) highlight that effective transborder water governance depends on the preservation of biodiversity and of the climate, and therefore demand that water management respond primarily to environmental interests – being a basic need for plants, animals and humans – and be guided by a logic grounded in the public interest, and common public and global goods;

Removed(j) promote intergovernmental and regional cooperation instruments in the management of water resources, focusing in particular on ensuring the fair distribution of water between countries and business sectors, and support local and community level governance structures so as to promote inclusive decision making and water management;

Added(j) strengthen global water resilience as a means of fostering stability through the effective implementation of the EU’s Water Resilience Strategy, in particular its global actions aimed at supporting access to water and sanitation for at least 70 million people and at strengthening global water governance and engagement in multilateral forums such as the G7, the G20 and the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action;

Removed(k) strengthen EU monitoring and early warning capacities through digitalisation and modern technologies; strengthen the monitoring of water scarcity and water-related conflict risks worldwide, such as the weaponisation of water and water infrastructure and deliberate deprivation of water access, making it a part of the conflict-prevention systems of the EEAS Crisis Response Centre;

Added(k) invest in a more transparent overview of all ongoing EU support dedicated to the promotion of transboundary water management internationally and ensure the coherence and streamlining of all work and funding across all relevant Directorates-General and between the EEAS and the Commission, while ensuring that the various programmes complement each other and do not overlap; strengthen communication on the EU’s efforts and achievements in the field of transboundary water cooperation to raise the profile of this essential tool and the EU’s leading role in its implementation;

Removed(l) incentivise and finance research on sustainable transboundary water management, water sharing, cooperation and innovation, including through Horizon Europe;

Added(l) promote enhanced international cooperation, including at the level of river basin organisations, to address the growing water crisis; ensure and improve access to clean and high-quality water and sanitation; promote sustainable water management, increase the reuse of water, tackle water pollution, overuse and waste, and implement various innovative water technologies, including nature-based solutions;

Removed(m) appoint a high-ranking EU official as EU Special Representative tasked with preventing and resolving water-related conflicts, promoting water cooperation, and protecting water sources and systems, including during armed conflicts and in transboundary settings;

Added(m) ensure that EU water initiatives worldwide address the persisting data gaps and lack of data sharing between governments by means of equipping partner countries with technical and physical resources to effectively monitor water levels and the quality of transboundary basins, and by exchanging data and fostering common standards for data collection between partner countries in order to increase compatibility; serve as a credible and trusted actor in facilitating the exchange of reliable water information among governments, stakeholders and the public in water-stressed and high-tension settings, including where the sharing of information is sensitive due to security concerns; build on relevant EU experience, programmes, practices and strategies to strengthen the sharing of best practice between regional and national actors, building on relevant EU programmes, practices and strategies;

Removed(n) strengthen the role of international law and international courts in the dispute resolution of conflicts around transnational water bodies to ensure clarity and accountability for legal obligations of all states bordering the transnational waters concerned;

Added(n) promote intergovernmental and regional cooperation instruments in the management of water resources, focusing, in particular, on ensuring the fair distribution of water between countries and business sectors, and support local and community-level governance structures; consider supporting public-private partnerships where they contribute to efficient water management and more affordable access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all; incentivise investment in technologies and management practices that enhance the use of sustainable agricultural practices in the production of crops, livestock and fish by both smallholders and larger companies;

Added(o) underline the principle of policy coherence for development and of EU policy alignment with partner countries’ development priorities, informed by assessments of their impact on local resources, in order to jointly avoid water depletion or pollution in non-EU countries;

Added(p) enhance the implementation of integrated water resource management as the core tool that promotes the coordinated development and sustainable management of water, land and related resources, also across borders, in line with SDG indicator 6.5.2, for the mutual benefit of the riparian states, as well as highlighting the importance of the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus in addressing synergies and trade-offs on water across the EU’s external action;

Added(q) strengthen EU monitoring and early warning capacities through digitalisation and modern technologies, including satellite surveillance and real-time pollution tracking, which are essential for preventing and combating cross-border pollution and supporting disaster risk reduction; strengthen the monitoring of water scarcity and water-related conflict risks worldwide, such as the weaponisation of water and water infrastructure and the deliberate deprivation of access to water, integrating this monitoring into the conflict-prevention systems of the EEAS Crisis Response Centre;

Added(r) incentivise and finance research on sustainable transboundary water management, water sharing, cooperation and innovation, including through Horizon Europe, and explore emerging challenges such as weather modification activities;

Added(s) consider tasking the EU Special Representative for Human Rights with preventing and resolving water-related conflicts, promoting water cooperation and the rule of law, and protecting water sources and systems, including during armed conflicts and in transboundary settings and leading, on behalf of the EU, international efforts to protect and restore water ecosystems in line with SDG 6, as water resilience is crucial in addressing current and future health, food, energy and security crises; consult Parliament on the mandate, resources and cooperation arrangements supporting the work of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights;

Added(t) strengthen the role of international law and the competent international courts, and promote dialogue, mediation and regional solutions as primary tools for resolving disputes over transnational water bodies, ensuring clarity and accountability regarding the legal obligations of all states bordering the waters concerned; systematically condemn the use of water as a weapon in conflicts; ensure that perpetrators are held to account;

Added(u) support legal initiatives aimed at securing justice and compensation for the deliberate targeting and destruction of water supplies and infrastructure;

2. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.