Europe’s Water: Efficient Use is Essential

Clean water is a vital natural resource which is coming under increasing pressure from over-exploitation and pollution.

A sustainable management of Europe’s water resources demands a wider policy perspective, addressing all major users as well as water’s interactions with other resources.

The European Union’sWater Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, provide a framework for the improvement of Europe’s water bodies.

The European Union’s longer-term resource-efficiency objectives are presented in a flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 strategy and water related resource efficiency will be at the heart of the EU’s policy recommendations to be presented in the context of the upcoming “Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s water”.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/towards-efficient-use-of-water

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html