Green groups were aghast at the plan’s postponement.
“Why the European Commission is jeopardizing something as essential as water resilience in the face of a climate emergency is unfathomable,” said Sergiy Moroz, policy manager for water and biodiversity at the European Environmental Bureau.
Claire Baffert, senior water policy officer at WWF’s European office, said: “I am appalled that the von der Leyen Commission has taken the irresponsible decision to halt the water resilience initiative when intense floods and droughts are already drowning or parching parts of Europe at an immense cost to communities, farmers, our food supply and nature.”
The Commission did not indicate a reason for the plan’s disappearance from its calendar.
Parts of the European Green Deal, particularly any policies affecting agriculture, have faced a growing backlash in recent months, with farmers staging protests across the Continent.
“The primary users of our water resources such as our farmers will be highly highlighted in the communication,” Sinkevičius said last month, as they’re already “struggling” with water scarcity due to climate change and more frequent droughts.
