A new CEN Workshop is being planned which is an important part of the activities of the Horizon Europe Research project “BOOST-IN”. This initiative focuses on providing innovative solutions to meet the water scarcity and quality issues in Europe. Its goal is to identify and transfer Water Circular Economy Solutions (WACES) to improve water cycle management.
Water scarcity is becoming a critical issue in Europe. Approximately 20% of European territory and 30% of the population are already experiencing water stress. Various factors contribute to this growing issue, including climate change, agricultural intensification, tourism, and population density. Such changes create difficulties for our current water cycles and pose severe risks to energy production, food security, human health, and economic development.
The problem with most water systems in Europe is that they follow a linear “take, make, consume and waste” model. This is problematic as it means overexploitation and degradation of freshwater resources, and it is at essence, unsustainable.
To improve the ecological conditions of waterways and provide a more sustainable system, Europe is transitioning towards a circular economy and is promoting models that focus on resource efficiency, waste minimization, and recovery. In terms of water, this translates to a focus on reusing treated water, recovering energy and materials from wastewater and rethinking infrastructure and governance to support closed-loop systems.
In order to effectively implement and scale Circular Economy practices, KPIs and certification schemes are crucial. The BOOST-IN project addresses these needs by promoting the market uptake of Water Circular Economy Solutions (WACES). This CEN Workshop plays an important part of the BOOST-IN project, and the resulting CEN Workshop Agreement will be illustrated with 5 specific CE products.
The kick-off meeting for the Workshop will take place remotely on 13 October 2025 from 9.00 to 11.30 (CEST). To attend, please use this Microsoft Teams link.
All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft Project Plan using the commenting form below, to the Workshop Secretary Javier Idiago López (UNE) (fidiago@une.org) by 14 August 2025.
Download the documents:
