The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group have launched a €10 million pilot advisory scheme to help develop circular economy projects in the water sector across EU member states.
The scheme, called the Sustainable Water Advisory Facility (SWAF-G), will provide support to both public and private organisations planning investments linked to water management, the Commission announced on Monday.
It will offer help with technical preparation, capacity building and market development, as well as integrating projects across the “water value chain” — the steps involved in supplying, using and treating water.
SWAF-G is being delivered under the InvestEU Advisory Hub and financed through Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme.
How the pilot will work
The facility will focus on projects already identified in the European Investment Bank’s pipeline and support them towards becoming “investment-ready”, the Commission said.
The scheme is being implemented through the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), a Commission-led programme that supports circular economy projects at local and regional level and is funded by Horizon Europe.
SWAF-G is also listed as an action under the EU’s Water Resilience Strategy, which sets out a pathway towards “water security for all” and includes protecting aquatic ecosystems and balancing water supply and demand.
