EIA Working Group Sustainability Agriculture held a Meeting on September 7, 2026
On 7 September 2026, the EIA Working Group on Sustainability in Agriculture held a meeting to discuss ongoing activities and priorities related to water resilience, sustainable investment, circularity, certification and communication.
The meeting brought together Giusy Inferrera, Bruno Molle (IrrigationEurope), Fleur Martin (EIA Communication), Dorothea Sulzbacher (Lite Soil), Ido Raanan, Paolo Antini (Sentek), and Jose Ginés Sánchez Navarro (Azud). Several other Working Group members joined through their contributions and sent their apologies.
Opening the session, Giusy Inferrera, Vice-Leader of the Working Group, confirmed the agenda, previous minutes and the requirements concerning competition law.
Continuing EIA’s Work on Water Resilience
An update was provided on the European Water Resilience Strategy and the preparation of the upcoming Irrigation Days 2026.
The Working Group discussed the planned roundtable on water resilience, which will bring together representatives from the irrigation sector and European institutions and stakeholders. The event continues EIA’s work to contribute to the development of a more water-resilient Europe.
The group also discussed EIA’s recent engagement with DG Environment, DG Agriculture and Water Europe. These exchanges are contributing to increasing the visibility of the irrigation sector in European water-resilience discussions.
The topic will be further addressed during the strategy workshop taking place on 28 September as part of Irrigation Days 2026.
Strengthening the Green Checker for Sustainable Investment
A key part of the meeting focused on EIA’s collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB) concerning the Green Checker.
The Green Checker is a framework designed to facilitate the assessment of green investments and help commercial banks identify sustainable investment opportunities. EIA is exploring how the irrigation sector’s technical expertise can contribute to its further development.
The discussion identified several possible areas for improvement, including stronger consideration of water storage and metering and an expansion of the framework’s scope to areas such as greenhouses, sponge cities and consultancy.
The Working Group also discussed the possibility of considering multiple objectives when evaluating projects, rather than focusing on a single objective. Other potential applications include supporting water governance, avoiding increased pressure on water resources and helping to scale up best practices.
The EIA’s discussions with the EIB also include the possibility of using this work as a basis for a broader certification framework.
EU Taxonomy
The Working Group noted that there were no new developments regarding the EU Taxonomy. Its translation into the Green Checker tool remains part of the ongoing work.
Advancing Plastic Collection and Recycling in Agriculture
The meeting also addressed EIA’s work on plastic collection and recycling in agriculture.
Ido Raanan presented the plastic collection scheme proposed for inclusion on the EIA website. The Working Group will consider the possibility of adding relevant information from the EIA market report once the relevant data is presented during Irrigation Days 2026.
Developing Certification and Labels
Certification and labelling were another important topic discussed by the Working Group.
Building on EIA’s sustainability advocacy work, members discussed the growing need for certification and verifiable technical parameters, particularly as the sector seeks to improve transparency and address greenwashing.
The Working Group will assess opportunities to collaborate with certification companies and institutes. It will also consider opening a call for collaboration with universities and research institutes to identify an appropriate certification framework.
Members were invited to identify existing certification schemes and potential experts who could contribute to this work.
Strengthening Communication
The Working Group also discussed possible improvements to the EIA website.
The objective is to strengthen the website’s role in communicating EIA’s advocacy mission and the narrative developed by the Association over the past two years. Proposed improvements include a stronger presentation of the Working Groups and their activities and materials.
Further discussions with the webmaster will take place to assess the work and resources required.
Looking Ahead
The September meeting reaffirmed the Working Group’s ongoing focus on sustainability, water resilience and practical solutions for the irrigation sector.
In the coming months, the group will continue its work on the Green Checker, plastic collection and recycling, certification and communication, while contributing to EIA’s wider engagement on European water-resilience policies.
The next steps will also build on the discussions and activities taking place during Irrigation Days 2026.
Minutes drafted by Giusy Inferrera