About Water Initiative

EUWI is a joint platform for stakeholders in the process of sustainable development of the water sector. It aims at improving efficiency by coordination of water-related development aid. Tangible results are produced by regional and thematic activities referred as components.

 The key objectives of the Initiative refer to water supply, sanitation and integrated water resources management, and seek to:

Reinforce political commitment to action and raise the profile of water and sanitation issues in the context of poverty reduction efforts

Promote better governance arrangements. This includes encouraging public and sectors and local stakeholders to work together better. It also includes efforts to strengthen institutional capacity at regional, national and local levels, by providing expertise and promoting good practice, improved partnerships for sharing technology, information, research and knowledge and awareness-raising

Improve coordination and cooperation in the way that water-related interventions are developed and implemented. This includes a shift away from stand-alone projects towards sector-wide approaches on the one hand, but also towards functional cross-sectoral links (e.g. agriculture/forestry/livestock and water; hygiene education and health outcomes). It also includes establishing multi-stakeholder processes to reinforce partnerships for action and promoting south-south collaboration and cooperation

Encourage regional and sub-regional cooperation on water management issues, using the integrated water resources management approach (at national and transboundary levels). As part of the Initiative, the EU supported the development of IWRM and water efficiency plans by 2005, including the adoption of policy, planning and management processes on a river-basin scale

Catalyse additional funding, through the development of new, flexible and innovative funding mechanisms to attract new partners, and through supporting the establishment of the enabling environment for increased investment.

The full description of the EUWI can be found at www.euwi.net

EU Water Initiative components and organisational framework

The EU Water Initiative is structured around a series of crosscutting and regional components. Besides the fundamental objectives of the EUWI, each regional component considers other specific targets for its particular geographic area.

The table hereafter provides an overview of the various components and the related leading groups (EU countries or European Commission)

Region	Africa	EECCA	Med	Latin Am
Themes
IWRM	Fr	EC	Gr	Es
WS&S				Mx
Extreme events				Pt
Water/agriculture				Mx
Research	EC
Finance	UK
Monitoring	It and EC

 

Active stakeholders in the development of the EUWI include:

•  EU Member states, (representatives from Foreign Affairs, Environment and Development Ministries and Agencies)
• Interested European third countries (e.g. Norway, Switzerland)
• European Commission (DGs DEV, ENV, RELEX, AIDCO, RTD)
• Other European Institutions/agencies (European Investment Bank, European Environmental Agency, ESA)
• Development and financial Institutions
• Wide Civil Society Organisations and major networks
• Water industry (private and public operators)
• International Institutions - UN agencies and programmes
• World Bank, EIB, African Development Bank
• African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW); NEPAD
• Latin American Water Directors (Environmental Ministries)
• Others (representatives of users; Ministries/agencies dealing with water research and other relevant Ministries such as agriculture, etc).

They are involved in the following bodies as part of the EUWI organisational framework:

Multi-stakeholder Forum (MStF)

Roles

• Actively contribute advice and experienced guidance on the development of the Initiative. Discuss and give input to the annual work programme. Agree on its representatives to the EUWI SG
• Report to the MStF on the implementation of the annual work programme through the annual report and regular newsletters. Present the annual work programme to the MStF
• Assist in the functioning and activities of the Multistakeholder Forum
• Request assistance from the Commission/Secretariat on practical aspects and organisational issues

Membership

Open to all EUWI partners

Membership selection criteria: Participation will be open but members of the MStF will be expected to

• represent active water development interests, notably in the focus regions, and
• will be committed to supporting the various objectives and actions of the EUWI through concrete contributions in terms of sharing information/experience/good practice and promotion of awareness to wider target groups.

A code of conduct for members will be developed for adoption by all MStF members.


EUWI Steering Group

Roles

• Prepare and facilitate the work of the EUWI Steering Group
• Empower the Commission/Secretariat to ensure the day-to-day running of the Initiative (organise meetings, produce draft reports, etc)
• Report to the EUWI Steering Group and submit regular updates, guidelines and recommendationson the development of the Initiative at regional level and on cross-cutting issues
• Provide guidance, views, opinions and feed into Working Groups’ work; approve ToR and work programmes of WGs; ensure adequate co-ordination across the components; ensure comprehensive information flow between these respective bodies

Membership

All decisions relating to the driving of the EUWI are taken in an open configuration including:

• Member States who actively show interest in the development of the EUWI
• European Commission (DEV, ENV, AIDCO, RELEX, RTD)
• EIB
• Nominated members from MStF (3 from NGOs, 3 from public and private water operators) actively involved in the development of the initiative.
• Chairs and co-chairs of WGs
• European third countries (Switzerland/Norway) who actively show interest in the development of the EUWI.

Invitees from donors (other than EU Member States – e.g. Canada etc) and funding institutions(World Bank, African Development Bank etc) with an interest and active commitment in water development and management - on case by case basis depending on the agenda. Presence at one meeting would not make invitees members of the EUWI SG.


Working Groups

Roles

• Assist the EUWI WGs in ensuring co-ordination of their activities and in their interaction with regional partners/bodies
• Request assistance from the Secretariat on co-ordination aspects of their activities
• Feed information on regional/thematic developments and specific concerns to tailor working groups’ activities to their needs
• Provide recommendations and guidelines to regional/thematic components on these issue

Membership

Composition of the working groups can vary according to the working groups, based on their specific needs. However, all working groups should comprise representatives from interested Member States, partner countries, the European Commission, operators and NGOs.

• EU Member States (25) and other interested European countries (e.g. Norway, Switzerland): Foreign affairs, environment, development agencies, higher education, science and technology
• European Commission
• Other European institutions: European Investment Bank etc
• Representatives of partner countries (central governments or regional organisations)
• European-wide, regional, national and local water and development NGOs and major networks
• Water operators (private and public) at European and regional/national/local level
• International Institutions: UN programmes and agencies – and their representatives at regional level
• International Financial institutions (e.g. World Bank) – and their representatives at regional level
• Local authorities – EU and regional level
• Local water operators and other potential suppliers
• Technical experts

Membership selection criteria: Participation is open but interested parties who choose to be involved should actively contribute to water and development issues in the region. Members must be prepared to commit time and effort to attend meetings, perform tasks and contribute to the activities of the Working Group.


Commission/Secretariat of the Initiative

Roles

• Prepare and facilitate the work of the EUWI Steering Group
• Empower the Commission/Secretariat to ensure the day-to-day running of the Initiative (organise meetings, produce draft reports, etc)
• Assist in the functioning and activities of the Multistakeholder Forum
• Request assistance from the Commission/Secretariat on practical aspects and organisational issues
• Assist the EUWI WGs in ensuring co-ordination of their activities and in their interaction with regional partners/bodies
• Request assistance from the Secretariat on co-ordination aspects of their activities

Membership

Commission (DGs DEV, ENV, RELEX, RTD and AIDCO). DGs DEV and ENV are joint lead DGs for the Secretariat. The DEV and ENV focal points for the EUWI work full time on the EUWI. They work jointly with a core group of DGs involved in the development of the Initiative (including DGs AIDCO, RELEX, RTD). It should be noted that members of the core group outside DGs ENV and DEV are not dedicated full time to the EUWI.

	EU Water Initiative website
	Research component of the EUWI website