On the 26^th and 27^th of May this year the European River Symposium (ERS) 2021 has taken place as an online event and was attended by 256 rivers and wetlands professionals including policy makers, planners, practitioners, researchers, and young professionals, as well as any other interested from 38 countries in Europe and beyond. The ERS 2021 is a continuation of efforts starting in 2013, with the convening of the first European River Symposium, to strengthen efforts to protect, restore and better manage rivers in Europe. Now after four editions, this 2021 event has been a continuation of the effort to celebrate and promote positive actions in support of rivers.

The WFD is an essential piece of EU environmental legislation and is here to stay in the current form.