The European Commission has proposed to create a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) focused on water in order to deal with water related challenges by promoting innovation. This partnership will seek to align the activities and outcomes of existing European, national and regional activities.

The European Innovation Partnership on Water proposed by the European Commission aims to  contribute to achieve the overall objectives set by the EU water policy as defined by the Water Framework Directive and the Resource Efficiency Roadmap. It will help to tackle one of the biggest concerns of European citizens to reduce water problems, by bringing together all relevant actors across borders and sectors, removing barriers to innovation and connecting the supply and demand sides of water related innovations. Water sector utilities, SMEs, the research community, local governments, water-using industries, and the financial sector will work together to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative solutions to water challenges.

Its strategic objectives will focus in providing safe, available and affordable water for all, while ensuring sufficient water for the environment. The EIP will also aim at achieving relative decoupling of the depletion of water resources from the level of economic activity in key EU sectors and to maintain and enhance the good status of waters in all EU river basins.

In order to optimize the activities in addressing barriers to innovation, developing marketable solutions and designing dissemination strategies within the Partnership, three Work Packages have been proposed e proposed. These packages are urban water management, rural water management and industrial water management. The EIP will identify how different funding programmes at EU, national and regional level as well as private sources can best interact in order to accelerate the development of innovative solutions.

The Communication on the EIP on Water will have to be considered by the Council and the European Parliament. If endorsed, the European Commission will invite participants for the High-Level Steering Group for a first meeting in the first half 2012.