Media: Brussels orders 10% water cut as Europe braces for drought

The European Commission is preparing to urge member states to reduce water usage by at least 10% by 2030 in response to increasingly frequent and severe droughts across the continent.

The plan, seen by the Financial Times and due to be published next month, marks the first time Brussels has set a bloc-wide target for water efficiency, Caliber.Az reports.

“We need to think about how we need to use water more efficiently,” said EU environment commissioner Jessika Roswall. “When we have a shower, we need to think about it.”

Driven by growing concern over groundwater depletion and regional water crises, the strategy outlines how the EU can build resilience against water stress — a situation in which demand exceeds supply. While the 10% target is not mandatory, the Commission is encouraging member states to set national goals and collect better data.

Water scarcity has become a pressing issue across much of Europe. Southern countries already implement seasonal water restrictions, including bans on filling swimming pools. In Cyprus, 2025 marks “our third consecutive drought year and represents the eighth worst period for water reserves” in half a century, according to agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou.

In Greece, the head of water utility Eydap, Haris Sachinis, warned that Athens could face critical shortages within two years if current hydrological trends continue. Even Sweden has imposed hosepipe bans in some areas. Meanwhile, tensions in France and Spain between farmers and environmentalists over water rights have escalated.

The Commission estimates that around €23bn in annual investment is required to modernise the EU’s water infrastructure. Currently, about a quarter of all water is lost through leaky pipes, a figure that rises to around 60% in Bulgaria. To help bridge the funding gap, the European Investment Bank is expected to launch a €15bn programme in loans and guarantees from 2025 to 2027.

Only 2.4% of water is reused across the EU annually — a figure Brussels says must rise. However, the plan’s ambitions may face challenges, as a recent climate assessment revealed only a “limited number” of countries had adopted water resilience policies.

“When it comes to water, it doesn’t follow national boundaries,” said Roswall, calling for closer cooperation between member states.

The urgency is echoed by the European Central Bank, which recently warned that “surface water scarcity alone puts almost 15 per cent of the euro area’s economic output at risk.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev