4.
The Water Joint Programming
Initiative (JPI) within the European
Context
Water is at the core of the activities of a wide range of initiatives and research-funding networks
and organisations, such as ERA-Nets,
22
EUREKA (with the ACQUEAU
23
cluster in particular),
technology platforms
24
(amongst other, the Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform,
WssTP), Euraqua,
25
the WFD Common Implementation Strategy Groups, or the European Inno-
vation Partnership (EIP).
26
Water has been, and still is, a historical priority for European RDI-re-
lated programmes (Framework Programmes,
27
LIFE,
28
COST
29
or Structural Funds
30
).
This diversity of actors and programmes confirms that water is at the top of the agenda of Eu-
ropean RDI actors. Nevertheless, fragmentation represents a potential obstacle in the develop-
ment of an RDI strategy for the sustainable use of water resources and for a sustainable,
competitive industrial water sector. The Water JPI wil l promote coordi nat ion and co-
operat i on with these RDI actors.
In addition, the Water JPI wil l seek to enhance synergies with other JPI s in order
to estab li sh common act iv it ies. In this sense, the Water JPI has at this point reviewed
the strategic agendas of other JPIs and it has identified specific research areas of the Water
JPI’s SRIA that could contribute to tackling the societal challenges addressed by other JPIs.
The results of this analysis are shown below.
53
