# EU Projects Propose Policy Framework to Restore Water-Absorbing Landscapes
Three EU-funded research initiatives have released a joint policy brief recommending how European governments should modify existing regulations to restore landscapes' natural capacity to absorb and store water. The brief, titled "Achieving Better Implementation of EU Policies by Restoring the Sponge Function," addresses Europe's mounting water and climate challenges through what researchers call "sponge function" restoration.
Soils, wetlands, forests and floodplains naturally absorb, store and gradually release water. This process reduces flood severity and buffers against drought. Across Europe, this capacity has deteriorated dramatically. Degraded soils, artificially drained catchments and vanished wetlands now intensify both droughts and destructive flooding cycles. Climate change compounds these problems. The three projects, SpongeBoost, SpongeWorks and SpongeScapes, collaborated to bridge a gap between scientific knowledge and actual policy implementation.
The policy brief combines three distinct strengths. SpongeBoost contributes policy guidance addressing regulatory barriers. SpongeWorks brings scientific evidence from field research. SpongeScapes offers lessons from real-world implementation projects across Europe. Together they produce actionable recommendations for EU member states on which existing policies can be leveraged or reformed to support landscape restoration.
The timing matters. Europe faces a paradox. The Water Framework Directive, Floods Directive, Common Agricultural Policy and various biodiversity regulations already contain provisions supporting water retention and ecosystem restoration. Yet implementation remains inconsistent. Some regions excel at restoring wetlands and floodplain connectivity. Others continue draining peatlands for agriculture or channeling rivers for hydropower. The brief essentially argues that existing EU policy architecture already supports sponge function restoration, but member states and institutions fail to coordinate or prioritize these provisions.
Sponge function restoration involves multiple approaches. Creating buffer zones along rivers allows floodwaters to spread across natural floodplains instead of concentrated channels. Restoring drained wetlands reestablishes their water storage capacity. Converting degraded agricultural land to forests or grassland improves soil infiltration. Some projects restore historic water meadows where seasonal flooding was managed rather than suppressed. Each approach targets the same outcome: increasing landscape permeability.
The three projects conducted case studies across Europe. Their analysis identified specific policy misalignments. Agricultural subsidies sometimes favor tile drainage and intensive cultivation over water retention. Some countries prioritize flood defenses like dikes and dams while neglecting upstream landscape restoration. Fragmented governance structures prevent coordination between water authorities, environmental agencies and agricultural departments.
The policy brief provides concrete recommendations for how existing EU directives can support sponge restoration at national and regional levels. These likely include streamlining permitting for wetland restoration projects, reorienting agricultural payments toward water-retention practices and establishing regional coordination mechanisms between previously siloed agencies.
Implementation will test whether EU member states can translate recommendation into action. France, Netherlands and some Scandinavian countries have advanced sponge restoration programs. Central and Eastern European nations vary widely in commitment. Budget constraints and agricultural lobbying typically create resistance to large-scale land conversion away from food production.
The brief represents an important shift. Rather than proposing new regulations, it focuses on better deploying existing ones. This approach may prove more politically viable than demanding new laws while acknowledging that Europe's water security depends on restoring landscapes' natural functions before climate impacts worsen further.