“Water resilience does not start in Brussels – it starts here” – Tüttő Kata in Harghita County
Protecting nature, safeguarding water resources and shaping the future of agriculture are not built top-down, but bottom-up. This was the message we sent to Europe today.
On 17 November 2025, Harghita County hosted the event “Water Resilience in Mountain Areas under the Impact of Climate Change”, which not only explored the challenges of hydrological resilience in mountain regions, but also launched an essential and urgent social and policy dialogue on how to live sustainably in close connection with nature.
The guest of honour was Kata Tüttő, President of one of the European Union’s most important institutions – the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) – who expressed her clear support for the local challenges presented and committed to bringing these issues forward at the European level.
Harghita County: a land of springs – but the future can only be written together
Deputy President of Harghita County Council, Csaba Borboly, emphasised that the county’s natural assets are exceptional, but their preservation does not happen automatically.
“Clean water, traditional farming, biodiversity – all these values can be endangered if we lack a shared vision and shared determination. And unfortunately, right now, we do.”
The event featured numerous presentations and debates about the challenges of water management in mountain regions, the impact of climate change, the state of wetlands, the reintroduction of beavers, and community-based solutions.
A key role was played by the World Café workshop, where participants worked together to outline future action directions for strengthening water resilience.
“Today we know what we don’t know” – a warning and an opportunity
In his speech, Borboly highlighted that the European Union’s new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034 is currently being prepared, and this is the moment when:
- regions must clearly articulate their needs, rather than complain afterwards,
- Romania made a strategic mistake in 2007 by not involving local actors in the preparation process, resulting in EU programmes that often do not match real needs,
- there is no shared national vision, because everyone sees solutions only from their own perspective – and this cannot lead to real progress.
“Our relationship with water, with life, with nature should be a national minimum consensus. But as long as there is no coordinated planning at local and national level, we will continue to lose out on European opportunities.”
What Kata Tüttő confirmed
The CoR President stated that water protection and nature conservation are common European causes, but they will only succeed if regions clearly express what they want, what support they need and what EU funding instruments are essential for the green transition.
The professional proposals presented in Miercurea Ciuc will be transmitted in written form to the Committee of the Regions. Over the coming weeks, these inputs will feed into EU policy preparation – particularly regarding water resilience, nature-based solutions and support for mountain areas.
Next steps – Harghita County’s message
- A county- and region-level vision is needed on water, agriculture and environmental protection.
- A common position must be formulated for the EU negotiations on the 2028–2034 MFF.
- A dedicated strategy for mountain hydrological systems must be proposed, integrating ecological, social and economic considerations.
- Small farmers, shepherds and foresters are essential – they are the stewards of the landscape.
- We should not simply “ask” Europe for support – we must come prepared, with our own plans.
Closing thought
Nature does not wait.
The time to act is now.
The time to decide is now.
The time to work together is now.
The event in Miercurea Ciuc was an important milestone – but it will only matter if it continues. Harghita County is ready: for cooperation, professional dialogue and building a shared future – both locally and in Europe.