Over the past decade, the concerns about drought events and water scarcity have grown within the EU, especially with regard to long-term imbalances of water demand and water availability in Europe. Following one of the most widespread droughts in 2003 affecting over 100 million people, a third of the EU territory, with a cost of at least € 8.7 billion, the EU Council of Ministers asked the European Commission to address the challenges of water scarcity and droughts (WS&D) in the EU.