China-Europe Water Platform
The China-Europe water Platform (CEWP) is a cooperation network for water administration, research and companies between the European Union and China's Ministry of water resources. CEWP was established by a joint declaration in 2012.
CEWP operates through three pillars: policy dialogue, research cooperation and business-related cooperation. All pillars will be taken forward in four thematic areas, that are water and urbanization, water and food security, water and energy security, and water and ecosystem services. Several events are organised annually in all thematic areas, in which all interested parties can participate. You can read about past and future events on the CEWP website.
The CEWP also organizes a high-level meeting every year. The meeting will discuss selected topical issues in China and Europe, and the purpose of the meeting is also to strengthen the shared view of the EU and China on the development of these topical themes. This takes place in the form of declarations, the most recent of which was signed at a high-level meeting in Turku in autumn 2017. The aim is to build sustainable development together and improve water security.
The practical activities of the Water Forum are managed by a secretariat, some of which work in China at the Ministry of water resources and the other part in Europe. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland was responsible for the European Secretariat in 2018-2019.
The activities of the CEWP also support bilateral water cooperation between Finland and China, which is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of water resources of China, which was renewed in 2014. In recent years, cooperation has been very active in managing heavy rainfall and storm waters, restoring lakes, dam safety technology and hydrology. In practice, cooperation between companies and research institutes is carried out with the support of ministries and other authorities.
High-level political conference on water cooperation between China and the EU was organised in September 2017 in Turku, Finland. On the agenda at the conference were the water-related UN Sustainable Development Goals, water in circular economy, and strengthening the cooperation between European and Chinese water companies.