The Living Rivers Europe coalition - of which EAA is active member - has raised its concerns that the upcoming strategy will lack the needed tools to make Europe truly water resilient.
The European Commission is putting the finishing touches to the EU Water Resilience Strategy, intended to respond to the growing urgency of water scarcity, floods, pollution, and ecosystem degradation across the continent.
However, based on recent media reports, the draft text lacks the binding commitments, dedicated funding, and governance tools needed to ensure meaningful implementation and systemic change. Without those, ambition will remain on paper and will not be able to tackle growing pressures on Europe’s rivers and wetlands.
Through their active role in the Living Rivers Europe (LRE) Coalition, the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) – a founding coalition member – highlights the critical state of Europe’s freshwaters, particularly free-flowing rivers. Too often, the connection between rivers, oceans, seas, and floodplains is disrupted. Restoring free-flowing rivers is essential for healthy freshwater fish species, robust aquatic ecosystems, and climate change resilience.