Young elected politicians from across Europe brought the experience of their municipalities and regions to the EPP-CoR External Cross-Border Group Meeting in Mikulov, highlighting how water scarcity, droughts, floods and increasing pressure on water resources are already shaping local economies, infrastructure and public services.
EPP-CoR Young Elected Politicians (YEPs) contributed to the debate with concrete examples from their own territories and proposals for translating European objectives into effective local action.
Lea Helene Kerstiens, from Neunkirchen, Germany, highlighted the need for multifunctional and locally adapted solutions, drawing on the example of Ottmar Lake, where drinking-water protection, biodiversity, recreation and regional development come together.
“We need common European goals, but regional solutions. Water resilience starts in our municipalities and regions, where local knowledge, innovation and cooperation can turn one space into many solutions — for drinking water, biodiversity, climate adaptation, recreation and economic development.”
She stressed that secure water supplies are increasingly linked not only to environmental protection but also to economic resilience, agriculture, industry and the competitiveness of European regions.
Martyna Sontowska, County Councillor in Olsztyn County, Poland, focused on the relationship between water, tourism and territorial cohesion. Drawing on the experience of Warmia and Mazury, she argued that European and regional investment should also enable smaller and less visible destinations to benefit from their natural water assets.
“Water is a major driver of tourism in Warmia and Mazury, but funding and visitor flows remain very uneven within our regions. European support should also help smaller and less visible territories use their natural assets to strengthen local competitiveness.”
Her intervention raised the broader question of how European funding mechanisms can help reduce disparities not only between regions, but also within regions, ensuring that investment and economic opportunities reach territories beyond established tourism centres.
For Matteo Bertoldi, local councillor in Trentino, Italy, the growing impact of droughts and floods demonstrates why European water policy must reflect territorial differences. In Alpine regions, he noted, water is essential to agriculture, mountain communities and tourism, while municipalities increasingly have to manage both shortages and extreme weather events.
“Water resilience must reflect territorial realities. An Alpine region does not face the same challenges as an island or a coastal region, which is why Europe needs flexible, place-based solutions supported by technology, strategic investment and stronger resources for local authorities.”
Bertoldi also pointed to the potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence and drone-based monitoring to improve water management, while calling for sufficient flexibility and resources for local authorities responsible for preventing and managing droughts and floods.
Aleksandar Djukic, City Councillor in Belgrade, Serbia, turned the discussion towards the design of Europe’s future cities. He proposed strengthening water-efficiency requirements in new buildings, including the reuse of greywater from showers and sinks.
“Urban water resilience should start with the way we design our buildings. Reusing greywater from showers and sinks for purposes such as toilet flushing could significantly reduce pressure on drinking-water supplies and make our cities more resilient.”
His intervention underlined the potential for planning and construction standards to reduce demand for drinking-quality water and strengthen the resilience of cities and essential public services.
From Western Greece, Spyridoula-Anna Pappa, Community Councillor in the Municipality of Amphilochia, called for a shift from reacting to water emergencies towards permanent preparedness. She argued that preparedness should become part of everyday policymaking, from the smallest municipalities to larger regions.
“Water preparedness must become an everyday policy, not something we activate only when a crisis hits. Europe should better connect agricultural efficiency, wastewater reuse and regional investment so that municipalities and regions can build resilience before the next emergency.”
Pappa also called for a closer connection between agricultural water efficiency, wastewater reuse and EU regional investment, asking whether integrated regional water strategies could play a stronger role in directing cohesion and agricultural funding.
The YEP interventions reinforced one of the central messages of the Mikulov Declaration: Europe needs common ambitions on water resilience, but implementation must recognise the different realities of its territories and empower the local and regional authorities closest to the challenges. The Declaration also calls for stronger cross-border cooperation, more Interreg projects concerning shared water resources, and greater exchange of good practices among local, regional and national authorities.
From Alpine communities and lake regions to major cities and areas exposed to drought, floods and wildfires, the young elected politicians demonstrated how Europe's water challenge takes different forms across its territories – and how local knowledge can help turn European ambitions into practical solutions.
Background
Held under the theme “Shared Water, Shared Future – Building Water Resilience Through Territorial Cooperation and Exchange of Good Practices”, the meeting brought together European, local and regional representatives to discuss both the financing and practical implementation of water resilience. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Mikulov Declaration, setting out the EPP-CoR Group’s priorities for a more resilient European water policy.
The Declaration calls for active subsidiarity, partnership and multi-level governance to guide EU water policy and stresses that local and regional authorities must be treated as strategic partners, innovators and investors. It also calls for place-based solutions reflecting Europe’s different geographical, climatic and economic realities and for water resilience to become a strategic priority in the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework.