Maria da Graça Carvalho was in Brussels to follow up on a letter sent to the EU executive during the summer asking for concrete action to increase water security across the EU.
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00:00Securing fresh water should be a priority of the next European Commission, as around 20% of the EU's territory and 30% of its citizens are often affected by droughts and floods.
00:12One example is the draconian cuts to water consumption in Catalonia this spring, when the Spanish province declared a drought emergency.
00:21Climate change will aggravate the situation, so the Portuguese government is leading an initiative.
00:29Investment is key, said the Minister of Environment after a meeting with the European Commission officials on Tuesday.
01:0020 member states signed a letter to the European Commission about water resilience that was drafted by the Portuguese government in July.
01:08One key argument is that the economic cost, estimated at around 9 billion euros per year, could reach 65 billion by the end of the century.
01:20So far, this policy has been under the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries portfolio.
01:24The Minister stressed that water is a resource crucial for many sectors such as industry, energy, agriculture and tourism, and even defence.
01:54The strategic agenda approved by the European Council for the next five years commits to strengthen water resilience across the Union and invest in ample cross-border infrastructure.