Clean & Circular Water – Fostering healthier cities and regions

2 – 2.30 pm/CET

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and Eurocities are joining forces to  organise an event during the EU Green Week dedicated to clean and circular water – in the framework  of the publication of the Zero Pollution Action Plan for water, and the revision of the Urban Waste  Water Treatment directive. 

EU policy on water issues has been particularly fervent in recent times. New EU rules on water reuse  and initiatives – kicked-off lately to align urban waste water legislation with the ambition of the  European Green Deal – together with the upcoming Zero Pollution Action Plan, will provide excellent  conditions for instilling more sustainability and circularity into the water management sector in the  near future. Municipalities and regions in fact play a decisive role in counteracting most of the worrying  trends on water: they are engaged in increasing the sustainability and circularity of the water  management sector to better protect water as well as citizens’ health from the hazards that may be  engendered by human activities.

Panel discussion
Good practices and recommendations for the EU water legislation:
• Adapting urban water system to address climate change (10’) – Marieke Schouten,
Alderman of the municipality of Nieuwegein and CoR member
• Urban circular water in Porto (10’) – Filippe Araujo, Vice-Mayor of the city of Porto
• A holistic approach to pharmaceuticals and microplastics in water (10’) – Carla Chiaretti,
Head of Policy, EurEAU
• Making the EU legislation waterproof (10’) – Nele-Frederike Rosenstock, DG ENV,
European Commission

Guided discussions with panellists and participants (15’)