A new CEN Workshop will soon begin as part of the Horizon Europe Research Project BOOST-IN, an initiative dedicated to addressing Europe’s growing challenges around water scarcity and quality through innovation and circular economy solutions. The Kick-off Meeting for this Workshop will take place remotely on 13 October 2025, from 9:00 to 11:30 (CEST).
Addressing Europe’s Water Challenges
Water scarcity is becoming one of Europe’s most critical environmental and socio-economic challenges. Today, approximately 20% of the European territory and 30% of its population experience water stress. The situation is aggravated by climate change, agricultural intensification, tourism, and population growth, all of which put significant pressure on water systems. These conditions create serious risks for energy production, food security, human health, and economic development.
Most of Europe’s water systems still follow a linear model of “take, make, consume, and waste,” leading to the overexploitation and degradation of freshwater resources. This approach is unsustainable and calls for a systemic transition toward circularity.
Moving Towards a Circular Water Economy
The BOOST-IN project supports this transition by promoting the Water Circular Economy, which focuses on resource efficiency, waste minimisation, and recovery. In practical terms, this means reusing treated water, recovering energy and materials from wastewater, and rethinking infrastructure and governance to support closed-loop systems.
To make this transition effective, the development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and certification schemes is essential. The new CEN Workshop aims to establish these standards to encourage the wider market uptake of Water Circular Economy Solutions (WACES). The resulting CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) will be illustrated with five specific circular economy products, providing concrete examples of how innovation can drive sustainability and resilience in the water sector.
Collaboration for a Sustainable Future
This Workshop marks an important milestone for the BOOST-IN project, bringing together experts from research, industry, policy, and standardisation communities. It will foster collaboration to accelerate the implementation and scaling of circular water practices in Europe.
All interested parties are invited to:
-
Join the Kick-off Meeting on 13 October 2025 (9:00–11:30 CEST) via Microsoft Teams.
-
Submit comments on the draft Project Plan to the Workshop Secretary, Javier Idiago López (UNE), at fidiago@une.org by 14 August 2025.
