The first meeting of the New Stakeholder Forum on Water Scarcity and Droughts

In recognition of the acuteness of the water scarcity and drought challenges in Europe, the Commission has undertaken an in-depth assessment of the situation at EU level. In the light of its preliminary results and of the overall policy context, the Commission is planning to present a Communication on these issues in 2007. This process requires an active involvement of the interested parties. Therefore, the Commission intends to set-up a Stakeholder Forum which will be invited to contribute to the debate. The Forum is expected to be an integral part of the process. The parties or organisations interested in taking part in the Stakeholder Forum are invited to fill the application by 29 December 2006. The Commission will welcome a maximum of thirty representatives of organisations and will assess each application taking into account several criteria.