The European Parliament welcomed representatives working in the domain of water on 28 April 2016 in order to discuss the importance of ensuring long-term investments in the sector and how they can best be materialised.
At the beginning of the conference it has been highlighted that as the global population continues to grow, together with individual consumption, the need for investment in water infrastructures and innovation becomes obvious as we need to improve the efficiency of water usage. Investments are needed on the national, EU, and global level. From European Commission perspective the long-term investments in the water sector must be viewed in a holistic framework and focus should be on investments that secure and support supply while at the same time protect the environment. It has been agreed that investing in water is a development issue and ensures sustainability and growth, but not all investments are equally beneficial. The need for a good framework favourable to long-term investments in order to minimize the risks and adequately account for them to attract investors and financers has been outlined. The need for long-term investments in the sector was reiterated by all participants also highlighting the significance of this resource both for consumption and production calling for further debate on the matter to ensure that appropriate investments are made.

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