Elisabeta Poçi Represents EWA at the Launch of the European Water Academy in Brussels

SHUKALB Executive Director Elisabeta Poçi, representing the European Water Association (EWA) as Vice-President, took part in the official launch of the European Water Academy (EUWA) in Brussels on 21 September 2026.

The European Water Academy is a a flagship action under the remit of the European Water Resilience Strategy (COM(2025) 280) that creates a Europe‑wide portfolio of labelled training and skill‑development programmes for a water-resilient Europe.  Led by the Joint Research Center (JRC), the academy aims to address capacity needs in Europe’s water sector and to bridge research and real-world application of technologies by offering advanced training, supporting innovation, and fostering collaboration between public and private actors across Europe.

The European Water Association has been a promoter of the European Water Academy since the beginning, and has contributed its “Introduction Course to EU Water Policy and Legislation” to the Academy, becoming this way one of the Academy’s First Champions. Speaking for EWA, Elisabeta highlighted the importance of investing in people alongside infrastructure, finance and technology. She emphasized the Academy’s potential to bridge policy and practice, strengthen cross-border professional networks and build on the training and capacity-development work already carried out by water associations, water utilities, universities and professional organizations across Europe.

For SHUKALB, Elisabeta’s participation reflects the Association’s longstanding engagement in European and regional water-sector networks, while the European Water Academy offers a valuable opportunity to further connect the Albanian and the larger Western Balkans community of water sector professionals, to European knowledge, expertise and professional development opportunities.

The launch also highlighted the contribution of the Danube region to the Academy’s learning agenda. Katerina Schilling, Secretary General of IAWD, and Ivan Ivanov, President of the Bulgarian Water Association, were among the first Champions of the European Water Academy, presenting the Danube Learning Partnership (D-LeaP) and the successful delivery of the Non-Revenue Water Program in Bulgaria.

The launch brought together representatives from European institutions, water organizations, utilities, universities, research and technology organizations, industry and young water professionals, underlining a shared message: strengthening Europe’s water resilience requires investment in people, skills and knowledge.