The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to support the development of an EU-wide Action Plan on digitalisation in the water sector.
The plan’s aim is to help increase water efficiency, protect the water cycle and ensure that clean, affordable water remains available by improving water infrastructure and enhancing overall EU competitiveness.
Outlined in the 2025 Water Resilience Strategy and the Commission Work Programme for 2026, the plan aims to modernise water management through data-driven innovation.
It supports the large-scale deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT), including smart sensors and meters, to enable more agile water management. It also includes an initiative on “smart metres for all” – smart meters can reduce water use by up to 25%, with digital systems saving an additional 5–8% and leak detection reducing consumption by a further 7–14%.
The call for evidence seeks to gather insights and best practices on how technologies such as artificial intelligence can improve efficiency and infrastructure resilience, as well as the challenges of implementing them, including regulatory bottlenecks which prevent scaling-up solutions across EU countries.
Stakeholders – including public authorities, river basin managers, the water industry, water-intensive economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and data centres, IT and digital solution providers, research and academia – are encouraged to take part. The online consultation opened yesterday 27 May and runs until 24 June.
The EU Action Plan for the Digitalisation of the water sector is included in the Commission Work Programme for 2026 and is one of the flagship initiatives under the European Water Resilience Strategy.
Documentation states supporting the strategy states: “Europe needs to ensure water security and be prepared for water-related disasters. By 2030, global water demand will exceed available resources by 40%, and efforts need to be made to ensure both its availability and quality worldwide.
“That is why the European Commission has developed a water resilience strategy to help the EU improve the way we manage water while making our businesses more competitive and innovative.”
The plan operates at the intersection of the green and digital transitions, directly supporting the objectives of the Competitiveness Compass to secure resource availability for different sectors.
The EU Competitiveness Compass is a strategic framework and roadmap introduced by the European Commission to boost economic growth, innovation, and resilience across Europe. It outlines three core areas for action: innovation; decarbonisation and competitiveness; and security and resilience.
“EU water management requires a smart, digital system to improve real-time forecasting and reduce costs,” The EC said in a statement. “This initiative accelerates digitalisation through 3 pillars: AI-driven big data, large-scale Internet-of-Things deployment and routine Earth observation. The initiative aims to provide reliable services, cut red tape and foster a competitive market. Improving cross-border cooperation and transparency can ensure better data for the public and smarter management of the EU’s water resources.”
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