An ambitious European budget must drive real change. Desalination technologies with deep-sea discharge are short-sighted palliatives that threaten marine ecosystems. The real innovation is in the recovery of resources from ground brine, investing in technologies to extract strategic minerals and create a true zero-impact circular economy. Water scarcity is a consequence of climate change and unsustainable practices such as factory farming. Addressing water scarcity with desalination, ignoring the causes, is a failure. A rethinking of food policies is urgently needed. The transition to cell-based meat and fish offers a tangible solution to drastically reduce water consumption and emissions. It is crucial that the Commission acts boldly, overcoming lobbies. I call for the European budget to be redefined to: Invest heavily in the valorisation of brine and the extraction of critical minerals. Promote and finance the transition from traditional livestock to cell-based production. Establish funds for the retraining of livestock farmers and farmers. Finally, a truly environmentalist budget must oppose regressive laws such as wolf and bear hunting, promoting biodiversity. It must combat barbaric practices in Southeast Asia (e.g. dog/cat meat trade, endangered animals) and bring production back to Europe. Thank you