mr president honourable members i would like to thank you for this opportunity to discuss the critical situation of water in the middle east
the european union considers water to be a serious concern in the region and i fully share the concerns of the honourable members of this house as this region is characterised by water scarcity water stress and the deterioration of the quality of water which are likely to be further aggravated by climate change effects
we are aware of the impacts this can have on the people in the region the environment and regional security
the european union considers that water is a peace priority in the region and this regional challenge requires a regional solution
as you are fully aware the european union has been involved in encouraging urgent steps towards a comprehensive peace deal between israel and the palestinians where water is one of the final status issues to be resolved along with borders refugees jerusalem and security
the european union recognises the specific situation of the lower jordan river basin and the need for more efficient water management including its tributaries
we are therefore engaged in a range of activities at national sub-regional and regional level with all neighbouring parties
we are supportive of water reforms and policies that encourage the application of sustainable water management
through the european neighbourhood policy and other measures the european union is supporting confidence-building measures promoting cross-border cooperation and bringing together water resource communities that have shared water concerns
european union activities target capacity-building of different water authorities and users the collection and sharing of data the availability of treated waste water water conservation measures including water networks and efficient irrigation systems
european union efforts address both the demand and supply side of the water sector and establish the conditions that will enable an integrated management of water resources in the future
the european union is not alone in its efforts
member states and other donors are active and we closely coordinate our activities with them in order to ensure complementarity
