Precision Irrigation Moves to the Centre of Europe’s Water Investment Agenda
Recent meetings between representatives of the European Irrigation Association and European policymakers highlighted a significant shift in how irrigation is being positioned within Europe’s evolving water and agricultural policies.
The EIA, represented by Moshi Berenstein and Bruno Molle, met in Brussels with representatives of the Cabinets of the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, DG AGRI, and Water Europe to discuss the future role of precision irrigation in supporting Europe’s Water Resilience Strategy and agricultural transition.
The discussions confirmed that precision irrigation is increasingly recognised as an essential solution for improving water efficiency, strengthening agricultural resilience, and supporting climate adaptation. The conversation is no longer focused on whether precision irrigation delivers value, but rather on how its benefits can be measured, financed, and deployed at scale across Europe.
This evolution represents an important opportunity for the irrigation sector. As public policies place greater emphasis on measurable water savings, sustainability reporting, and efficient resource management, irrigation solutions are expected to become increasingly integrated with digital technologies, agronomic services, monitoring systems, and performance-based approaches.
The ability to demonstrate measurable environmental and economic outcomes will play an increasingly important role in facilitating access to European funding mechanisms, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), European Investment Bank (EIB) financing, and other public and private investment programmes supporting water resilience.
For irrigation professionals and technology providers, this marks an important transition from supplying equipment alone towards delivering comprehensive water management solutions that combine infrastructure, data, advisory services, and measurable performance.
The European Irrigation Association welcomes this policy direction and will continue working closely with European institutions, industry partners, researchers, and farmers to ensure that precision irrigation remains a key contributor to Europe’s objectives for water resilience, agricultural competitiveness, and sustainable resource management.
The meetings were organized with the support of Aliénor.