On January 28^th, 2025, the European Irrigation Association will organize a High-Level Roundtable, in partnership with The European House – Ambrosetti (TEHA) on the contribution of Sustainable Irrigation to the transition of the market our sector serves.

The Roundtable will provide a platform for all stakeholders involved to exchange experiences around their role in promoting sustainability and water resilience within the context of Sustainable Finance linked with the EU Green Deal, specifically through the leverage of the EU Taxonomy (Regulation 2020/852).

The event will be based on the following format: 2 sessions, one about the irrigation sector’s contributions to sustainable transition and the other one focused on last year EU Taxonomy project and results. Each session is opening with a number of keynote speeches, followed by a facilitated, open discussion with all participants also coming from the EU Institutions. A detailed agenda will be forwarded to registered attendees.

For reminder, the European Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (Regulation 2020/852/EU), a common classification system designed to identify sustainable economic activities that can contribute to different environmental objectives, is becoming the main tool to give investors and Member States higher quality information to direct capitals towards sustainable economic activities.

The irrigation sector, though crucial for driving sustainable transitions of the agriculture, landscape and ornamental markets, is only partially covered within the current regulatory framework offered by the EU Taxonomy. This may represent a risk for the entire irrigation sector, both in terms of access to financial capital and of competitiveness in the market.

In December 2023, EIA – together with TEHA as the leading scientific partner – finalized the position paper “Sustainable Irrigation – Focus on the framework of the EU Taxonomy” and officially submitted to the EU Commission the economic activities and technical screening criteria identified in the analysis to measure the potential contribution of the irrigation sector to the EU Taxonomy environmental objectives. The aim is not only to integrate sustainable irrigation within the Regulation, but also to provide a univocal basis for measuring and improving the performance of the sector’s value chain.

The roundtable will provide a platform for all stakeholders involved in the irrigation value chain to exchange experiences around its role in promoting sustainability and water resilience, also within the context of Sustainable Finance linked with the EU Green Deal. Participants will have the opportunity to share their perspective on opportunities, limitations, and existing innovative practices. It will provide the opportunity to reflect on the strategic development of the irrigation value chain, from raw materials’ circularity to irrigation systems’ energy and water efficiency, as well as the consultancy, training, and communication activities aimed at supporting the diffusion of best practice focused on sustainability.

To receive the invitation and register to the online event, please  e-mail to : communication@irrigationeurope.eu