Water is a vital issue and mountains are key to the water cycle. This is the message that Euromontana has shared with the European Commission as part of the public consultation on the Water Resilience Initiative.

This initiative, expected before the summer, aims to make Europe more water resilient by 2040, taking into account a wide range of challenges such as water resources management, drought, water consumption and water quality.

As the European Commission intends to adopt a ‘source to sea’ approach, our contribution to the consultation highlights the crucial role of Europe’s mountain areas in ensuring water resilience. The Alps alone provide 40% of Europe’s fresh water – a water crisis in the mountains would affect the whole of Europe, including nature, citizens and entire economic sectors. Euromontana thus calls on the European Commission to take account of the mountains’ role in the water cycle.

To make Europe water resilient, we believe it is essential to adopt a holistic approach to water-related issues. This means providing responses across a range of policies (agriculture, environment, cohesion) and ensuring their coherence. This is all the more important as the ongoing reforms of the post-2027 CAP and cohesion policy offer a real opportunity to align policies towards a common goal of resilience. Some of our proposals for water resilience in the mountains and beyond include:

• Strengthening water-friendly farming measures in the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, in particular ANC payments and relevant eco schemes or similar.
• Ensuring that European Structural and Investment Funds are invested in tourism infrastructure that contributes to smart and rational use of water resources, in line with the EU’s “do no significant harm” principle.
• Supporting national and regional efforts, taking into account their needs for the future EU Climate Change Adaptation Plan and ensuring that all adaptation plans take into account mountain and water challenges.

Last but not least, Euromontana stands for stepping up climate action to mitigate glacier melt and safeguard Europe’s water towers. As we celebrate World Water Day and World Glaciers Day, we call more than ever to strengthen Europe’s commitment to preserve glaciers, whose melting, especially in the Alps, poses a serious threat to Europe’s water supply. With 2025 being the International Year of Glaciers, now is the time for the European Union to commit to further action!