Source: European Parliament
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)[1] already provides a wide range of tools to support farmers as regards improving water resilience, namely through sustainable farming practices, preventive productive and non-productive investments and risk management tools, along with support for precision/digital farming, advisory services and knowledge transfers, cooperation and innovation under the CAP Network.
The Romanian CAP plan 2023-2027 contains support for the modernisation of existing irrigation infrastructure[2] contributing to an efficient use of water, for new irrigation infrastructure[3], and for investments and actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
In its communication ‘The road to the next multiannual financial framework (MFF)’[4], the Commission explains key policy and budgetary challenges that will shape the design of the next MFF.
The Commission intends to present its proposal for a reformed and reinforced EU budget post-2027 in July 2025. As outlined in the Water Resilience Strategy[5], the next MFF is an opportunity to further support water resilience through investment and reforms.
In the recent Mid-Term review of the Cohesion Policy[6], the Commission proposed an exceptional package of measures to encourage Members States and regions to invest in water resilience. It includes up to 100% of EU financing and 30% of prefinancing in water resilience projects, as well as various flexibilities.
The Water Framework Directive[7] allows Member State authorities who set the cost recovery arrangements including water pricing, to have regard to the social, environmental and economic effects of the recovery as well as the geographic and climatic conditions of the region(s) affected, as long as the environmental objectives are met.
- [1] https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/financing-cap/cap-funds_en.
- [2] EUR 400 million public expenditure.
- [3] More than EUR 102 million public expenditure.
- [4] COM(2025) 46 final: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/6d47acb4-9206-4d0f-8f9b-3b10cad7b1ed_en?filename=Communication%20on%20the%20road%20to%20the%20next%20MFF_en.pdf.
- [5] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/environment/water-resilience-strategy_en.
- [6] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, ‘A modernised Cohesion policy: The mid-term review,’ COM(2025) 163, 1 April 2025: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/communication/mid-term-review-2025/communication-mid-term-review-2025_en.pdf.
- [7] Article 9 of the directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1-73, as amended by Commission Directive 2014/101/EU of 30 October 2014, OJ L 311, 31.10.2014, p. 32-35.