European Water Stewardship (EWS) is the integrative system for business and agriculture to assess, verify and communicate sustainable water management practices. It is the result of a wide stakeholder process, coordinated by the European Water Partnership (EWP), and embodies the collective effort and know-how of water users in agriculture and industry. The EWS follows on the Water Vision for Europe by defining a system of clear steps towards sustainable water management at operational and river basin levels.

European Water Stewardship provides an applicable system to change the behaviour and practices of all water users towards sustainable water management. The EWS:

• Initiates private actions with independent guidance.
• Provides positive incentives for sustainable water management.
• Helps companies to communicate its successful implementation and achievements at operational level.
• Supports existing legal processes in the European Union.

The EWS is conceived with the focus on water sustainability at river basin level, as water users agree that they share river basins in much the same way as they share sectoral, national or regional concerns. As a recognized European initiative of the global Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), the EWS is the fruit of a leaders’ consortium from around the world to set basic standards for water stewardship worldwide.

The EWS includes a standard and an evaluation system that makes “business sense” for adherents; mitigating physical, regulatory and reputational risks; and offering tried-and-tested steps to secure water availability in future.

The core document of EWS is its standard and it has been developed within a wide stakeholder process. The standard is based on four principles each of them with a set of criteria further divided into indicators. For the complete EWS standard please click here.

The EWS is in line with the EU’s comprehensive set of regulations such as the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), to achieve Resource Efficiency and to move towards the Blueprint 2012. EWS partners adhere to the Water Vision for Europe and to a voluntary evaluation and certification system that is recognized by European stakeholders and authorities.

Please click here to download the EWS information factsheet.