President of the Generalitat of Valencia, Francisco CAMPS ORTIZ, has made political recommendations to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council — Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union COM(2007) 414 final thought a report with the opinion of the Committee of the Regions. The report has publised at the Official Journal of the European Union.

Main points from the Opinion make reference to:

• Echoes the concern of regions and local authorities about the problems observed around the Mediterranean and in central and western Europe due to droughts and phenomena such as abnormally dry years, empty reservoirs, difficulties with groundwater tables, problems with brackish water in coastal water tables, reductions in groundwater levels, changes in the hydrological regime owing to inadequate planning, changes in the normal rainfall patterns and water pressures resulting from natural causes or human action, leading to the consequences already observed by the Commission in its preparatory work.
• Advocates a coherent water planning policy in Member States and the regions, in which Community funds invested in infrastructure have the aim of conserving water, preserving uplands and wetlands, regenerating forested areas, water-saving and efficiency and reallocating water between uses, and of alleviating situations caused by severe drought or water scarcity, by providing additional means of water supply.
• Welcomes the Commission's Communication on the ‘Health check’ of the Common Agricultural Policy, as regards the inclusion of water management as a new challenge for the Common Agricultural Policy. It agrees with the possibility of closer integration of water management issues in rural and upland development programmes should be considered.