Press release
17-06-2026
Plenary session AFET
The European Parliament calls for stronger EU action against the weaponisation of water
MEPs deplore the use of water as a tool for coercion and conflict
Stronger EU action on international water management needed
Accountability for attacks on water infrastructure and supplies
Today, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, 3.5 billion to sanitation services
On Wednesday, MEPs called on the EU to strengthen its external action on water governance and integrate water-related risks into conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.
In a report adopted in plenary with 431 votes in favour, 111 against, and with 103 abstentions, MEPs urge the EU to step up its response to the growing use of water as a tool for political pressure, coercion and warfare.
Strengthening water diplomacy and cooperation
The MEPs agree that water cooperation remains insufficient despite growing pressure on shared water resources. While share transboundary waters, only 43 agreements are currently in place. They call on the EU to support partner countries in negotiating and implementing such arrangements, arguing that effective transnational water governance can help reduce tensions, and promote regional cooperation and the sustainable management of natural resources.
Funding and resources
The MEPs ask for adequate funding for water governance under the next long term EU budget, including through the Global Europe and Global Gateway programmes. It also supports increased EU investment, and public and private partnerships in climate-resilient water management and sanitation infrastructure, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected regions where reliable access to water can help reduce the risk of displacement and violence.
Justice and accountability
Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s water infrastructure and the imbalances in the control of water resources in the Middle East affecting Palestinian communities, are among the reported examples of how water can become a source of conflict and instability, MEPs say.
The MEPs stress the need for accountability for the deliberate targeting, destruction or denial of access to water infrastructure and supplies in conflict situations. They also back legal initiatives to ensure justice and compensation for affected communities, underlining the importance of strengthening international law and the role of competent criminal courts.
Quote
‘Access to water is a human right and a prerequisite for stability and peace. Yet it is coming under increasing pressure: more than half of the world’s freshwater resources cross national borders, and their management is often inadequately regulated. Overexploitation, pollution, population growth and climate change are causing severe water scarcity in many regions and fuelling crises, inequalities, instability, migration and armed conflicts, in which access to water can even become a weapon. The report sets out proposals for action to prevent crises and conflicts in the long term and calls for existing foreign policy instruments to be strengthened and better integrated. European leaders and institutions should ensure that the transnational governance of water resources is recognised as a strategic, diplomatic and security priority within the EU’s foreign policy’, said rapporteur Leoluca Orlando (Greens/EFA, Italy).
Background
Growing pressure on water resources, caused by population growth, unsustainable industrial development, poor wastewater management, and unsustainable water use, is contributing to water scarcity, food insecurity and conflict. Today, around 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, 3.5 billion lack safely managed sanitation services, and around 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.