In the face of climate change, water is a key determinant of nutrient cycles, primary productivity and biodiversity in human-modified landscapes (urban and agricultural). The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is extremely important as a framework for action towards achieving good ecological status of inland waters in Europe. Particularly in the 21st century, the exponential growth of consumption and global population has been the reason for changes in the hierarchy of challenges.
Insofar as water is becoming a fundamental factor of global and regional sustainability, and following the vision of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Europe must be the leader in developing and implementing innovative, transdisciplinary solutions for a "greening Europe" strategy and creating sustainable territories. There is an urgent need to enhance catchment water retentiveness (by means of aquaculture, wetlands, small ponds, polders and reservoirs) as means of preventing climate change and floods.
The political objective of this opinion is therefore to adopt CoR policy recommendations with a view to providing an early input for the political work to be carried out by the new European Commission with regard to upcoming proposals, such as the "zero-pollution action plan for water, soil and air".