As part of EPI-Water project, funded by DG Research of the European Commission, the conference will enable us to present and discuss progress since the First EPI-Water Conference held in Berlin in January 2012. The current activity of EPI-Water is focused on (ex-ante) assessing the performance of different and innovative economic instruments under different hydrological, socio-economic, cultural and institutional conditions and on analysing their ability and effectiveness to respond to water policy priorities. The main topic areas to be covered at the conference will be linked to three critical water policy challenges and the development of water accounting systems based on the UN-developed methodology: SEEA-W. Flood protection and management, based on a case study at the Tisza valley (Hungary), on floods and waterlogging in the Marosszog and Middle Tisza. Water scarcity and drought management, based on a case study in the interconnected river basins of the Tagus and Segura (Spain). Water ecosystem services, based on a case study at the Seine-Normandie river basin (France). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-W): water quality dimension (based on a case study at the Odense catchment, Denmark). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-W): water quantity dimension (based on a case study at the Pinios - Greece - and Segura - Spain - river basins).