During a CoR debate on a Blue Deal for Europe, our Vice-President Oldřich Vlasák underlined the importance of increasing the involvement of local and regional authorities in water policy "especially in terms of agriculture in order to minimise water shortages and floods".

These negative impacts challenge our agricultural sector, the health and well-being of our citizens and the very socio-economic fabric of EU regions. Mr Vlasák called for more investment and research in agricultural water management – "we cannot emphasize enough the importance of innovation and public-private partnerships in ensuring water security".

The ECR Vice-President urged caution that any long-term strategy on water should pay attention to a "Member States regional diversity, in terms of both geography and climate, and industrial characteristics". A one-size-fits-all approach will not work as regions face water problems in different ways. 

The Czech councillor pleaded for any future Blue Deal to prioritise Europe's economic security and competitiveness: "let's learn from the errors of legislation falling under the Green Deal, which were too ambitious and too burdensome", he concluded.