Water is emerging as a strategic priority for the European Union, as climate change, water scarcity and mounting pressure on infrastructure turn its management from an environmental issue into a matter of economic and social resilience.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the shift in her State of the Union address, stressing investment in water infrastructure, climate adaptation and a European framework for water security and supply. A new European Water Initiative, expected to coordinate policies and investment, is central to the plans.
The approach opens new prospects for Greece. Brussels is tying water policy more directly to infrastructure funding, natural hazard response and climate adaptation. Under the revised Cohesion Policy, more funding is earmarked for projects on sustainable water management, flood and drought protection, and stronger resilience among member states.
The strategy also includes a heatwave response plan, a Climate Insurance Alliance and the OceanEye initiative, which will monitor marine and water ecosystems using new technologies. The common thread is that water is now treated as critical infrastructure, bound up with the economy, security, quality of life and urban resilience.
In Greece, the Ministry of Environment and Energy is pursuing initiatives along the same lines. Minister Stavros Papastavrou has prioritized institutional reform of the water sector, the country’s first National Water Strategy, infrastructure upgrades and the use of expertise and new technologies. The ministry is also carrying out projects worth 3.4 billion euros that affect half of the country’s municipalities.
According to the ministry, European financing tools and know-how are part of the effort. Following its July agreement with the European Investment Bank to strengthen the resilience of critical water and energy infrastructure, the next step concerns Thessaloniki.
On Friday, Sept 18, the city’s water utility EYATH signed an agreement with the EIB, through the InvestEU Advisory Hub, to draw up a long-term investment program. It will review existing water supply, sewerage, wastewater treatment and circular economy infrastructure, as well as the wider area’s future investment needs.
