Environment in general and water in particular are horizontal subjects addressed by the traditional sector-related policies (industry, agriculture, economy, co-operation for development, health?) through prolific actions (legislative, policy making, financial incitement or support, research activities). Moreover, they are typically transboundary matters and concern every Member State of the European Union (EU). Therefore water has been a subject particularly dealt with by the Community, since the early 70's. This guide draws a synthesis of the EU water policy framework and its implementation through legislative and financial tools, focusing on the ones relative to research. It shows the different components of the water policy with their instruments and their structuring. This guide was designed for researchers dealing with water and willing to work in a Community framework. It is a tool to help them identifying appropriate project funding or supporting instruments (presented in card index with references to find further information), corresponding to their specialities or interests, among all the existing opportunities and which are not as well-known as Research and Technological Development Framework Programme or LIFE programme. Finally researchers may find in it the clues to build the arguments of their project proposals to be submitted to calls for tenders issued by the European Commission.