The government is investing in a new, comprehensive national policy for water management, with the aim of addressing the consequences of water scarcity and climate change and ensuring citizens’ access to safe, adequate, and high-quality water through a unified and effective management system.

As became known, this new structural reform is based on four main pillars: first, the financial and technical strengthening of municipalities and water supply and sewerage projects; second, the formulation of a unified National Water Strategy through meaningful consultation and cooperation with local government and the scientific community; third, the pooling of resources and the creation of economies of scale through the new holistic water management model established by the bill currently being discussed in Parliament; and fourth, the utilization of European expertise and available funding tools.

As emphasized, the government’s goal is to transition from a fragmented and piecemeal model to a unified, coordinated, and effective water management system. A system that will strengthen the country’s resilience against water scarcity and the consequences of the climate crisis and will ensure the sustainable management of the most valuable public resource for both current and future generations.

Four-year plan

During the government’s second four-year term, the Ministry of Environment and Energy announced a broad range of structural interventions, including 901 projects in more than 170 municipalities (meaning more than one in every two municipalities in the country), with a total value of €3.4 billion, for water supply and sewerage.

At the same time, it has proceeded with a series of institutional interventions. According to the latest initiatives it has undertaken, for the first time, in 2022 a National Operational Plan for Drinking Water was drawn up, which is scheduled to be updated in March 2027. At the same time, the updated River Basin Management Plans were approved in 2024, as were the Flood Risk Management Plans in 2025, while a new framework was established for drinking water and for addressing water scarcity.

The establishment of RAAEY

A key reform for the Ministry of Environment and Energy was the establishment of RAAEY, with responsibility for supervising water service providers and monitoring the implementation of cost-accounting and pricing rules.

Furthermore, from January 1, 2025, providers are required to prepare a master plan, which includes new supply sources and an investment plan. At the same time, they must have administrative capacity and submit quantitative data on water supply and pricing through an information system, based on specific evaluation indicators.

The new pricing framework provides for transparent rules, tiered charges depending on consumption, an affordable first-tier rate, special tariffs for vulnerable households, large families and families with three children, as well as public social infrastructure. At the same time, issues such as hidden leaks, the frequency of consumption measurements, and the review of tariffs by RAAEY are regulated.

Important changes also concern the administrative organization of the sector. With the establishment of ODYTH S.A., the policy for the protection and management of water resources in Thessaly is being consolidated under a single body, through the merger of 54 providers. At the same time, a favorable settlement was achieved for 75% of debts owed to PPC, along with the regulation of remaining debts of municipal water and sewerage companies (DEYA) to electricity providers.

National Water Strategy for the first time

A central element of the new policy is the National Water Strategy, which, for the first time, creates a long-term policy framework for water management in the country. The strategy treats water as a strategic national resource and lays the foundations for its protection and sustainable management. At the same time, it links water management with addressing the climate crisis, environmental protection, social cohesion, and economic development.

An end to fragmented water management

One of the most important interventions also concerns the institutional reorganization of the water sector. The goal is the transition from a fragmented model to a system with clearer rules, unified supervision, and greater administrative capacity.

The bill submitted to Parliament last week and expected to be voted on the following day aims to achieve more effective management of water resources in the fields of water supply, irrigation, and sewerage.

The bill provides for the merger of 70 providers into two major public organizations, EYDAP and EYATH, thereby safeguarding the public character of water. EYDAP expands its jurisdiction to areas of Attica, Boeotia, Phocis, and Evia, while EYATH expands into Thessaloniki and Halkidiki. At the same time, the two organizations also assume irrigation responsibilities, seeking unified management, economies of scale, and the reduction of water losses.

The reform is accompanied by significant investments in infrastructure, the settlement of DEYA debts, access to financing tools, and the strengthening of staffing with specialized personnel. At the same time, the rights of employees transferred to the new entities are safeguarded. The establishment of Water Supply Security Plans is also included within the same framework.

International expertise and critical infrastructure

The government is also seeking to utilize international expertise and technical support.

Within the framework of the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI), the initiative “Modernization of the governance of water service providers in Greece” is being implemented. The TSI is the Commission’s programme that provides member states with technical assistance and expertise for the design and implementation of reforms. At the same time, an agreement has been signed with the European Investment Bank for critical infrastructure and networks in both the water and energy sectors.

The goal is to strengthen the planning and implementation of investments, with emphasis on network resilience, reducing losses, and ensuring the adequacy of water resources.