EU food sector is dependent 'on healthy soils and water' - commissioner
Europe's food sector is dependent on "healthy soils and water", the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall has warned at a high level conference on "water resilience" in Brussels.
Commissioner Roswall told the conference, which brought together stakeholders from across Europe to discuss a new EU water resilience strategy, that the EU "has done a lot to improve the state of our waters".
But she also cautioned that it needs to do more.
"What we need is a new mindset, and that we can only achieve by working together.
"Access to water is a source of prosperity. But that also means that lack of water risks leading to competition and, at worst, to conflict. This is yet another reminder of our responsibility to manage water in a sustainable way," the commissioner said.
According to Commissioner Roswall latest research shows that EU waters "are heavily polluted" and that its water supply is under pressure.
The EU Commissioner for the Environment told the conference that "almost 80% of EU citizens want us to act on water".
"We must recall that there is already a very solid body of legislation that we have been developing since the 1970's.
"We have solid legislation in place. But we need to apply it better. That's why we need to work better with member states. At regional level and at local level.
"And to be successful, we need a change of mindset in all policy areas affecting water," Commissioner Roswall added.
She also urged member states to take "much better care of our soil" and highlighted that "more than 60% of soils in Europe are degraded".
"Compact and degraded soils cannot absorb water from heavy rainfalls.
"Therefore, we should work hand in hand to protect our soils and our water resources," the commissioner added.
