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The significance of urban areas for the European economy is increasing. Urban areas have produced 50 % more GDP than the other areas in the EU between 2000 and 2013, while employment grew by 7 % and decreased slightly in other areas (EEA, 2017d). The increase of the European urban population has led to the development of more urban and peri-urban land, and the concentration of the demand for public water supply. In 2017, the artificial land cover, which includes residential, industrial and commercial land and transport infrastructure connecting areas, exceeded 4 % of the total land cover (EEA, 2109). The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, the UK and Italy (particularly the Po river basin) are significant hotspots of urbanised/artificial land, while recent trends of urbanisation (2006-2015) show high rates of land conversion in France, Spain, eastern Europe and Turkey. Between 2000 and 2018, 78 % of the artificial land conversion in the EU27+UK affected arable lands and permanent crops, pastures and mixed farmlands, and grasslands.