Cyprus’ agriculture minister and the European Commissioner for the Environment stressed on Thursday the need to reduce water consumption throughout the EU and particularly in Cyprus, as part of the European strategy for water resilience.

Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou and visiting EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall discussed water resilience, the circular economy, the simplification of environmental legislation and preventing and battling wildfires, ahead of the Informal Council of EU Ministers of the Environment taking place in Nicosia on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference later, Panayiotou noted that as regards water resilience, Cyprus utilizes the European Commission’s technical support.

Asked about measures taken to address the lack of water resources, she said that the EU goal to reduce water consumption by 10 per cent by 2030 applies to Cyprus as well, along with the use of technologies for desalination and monitoring losses in the water supply network.

The minister said that the Commission is aware of the crisis in Cyprus and noted that the technical support is important and so is the targeted funding for vulnerable areas.

For her part, Roswall noted that Cyprus is holding the presidency of the EU Council at a very challenging time for Europe, due to the uncertainty caused by the war, the trade wars, and climate change.

“Europe is stepping up in this challenging time, to strengthen our competitiveness, our resilience, and our preparedness.”