European Water Movement · Protecting Water as a Commons

$global frackdown #3$

The European Water Movement in the Face of the European Economic and Social Committee's Blue Deal Initiative

Photo credits: EESC

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), a consultative body of the European Union (EU), is promoting an initiative to develop a global approach to European water policies. This proposal aims to materialize in a Declaration to be delivered to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union at the high-level conference "Call for an EU Blue Deal" in October 2023, during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The EESC's objective is for water to be one of the next EU Commission's top priorities.

Taking into account the relevance of this initiative, the European Water Movement specifies below its position in this regard, identifying the main challenges and its proposals for action related to water in the EU, all to influence the process of development and implementation of the Blue Deal.

Protest rally for the defense of the Neretva River and its basin from new hydropower plants

The Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo credits: Robert Oroz

NERETVA IS BLEEDING AND NEEDS OUR HELP! #neretva

When? 11.11.2023. (Saturday) 11:55pm CEST
Where? Trg državnosti 1, Konjic city, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Focus on Ireland

Despite several years of campaigning against the installation of residential water meters and against domestic water charges, the right2water Ireland campaign did not achieve in 2017 either the final cessation of the installation of meters, the abolition of charges which were just postponed, or the end of Irish Water. Moreover, the referendum to prevent the privatisation of water services has still not been held despite the unanimous support of the Irish Parliament. On the contrary, domestic water charges resurfaced in 2019, residential water meters continue to be installed and Irish Water is increasingly contracting out to the private sector, resulting in a deterioration of water infrastructure and water quality. A strong campaign for the right to water and democracy is more necessary than ever.

Focus on Greece

With the beginning of the Greek economic crisis, the publicly controlled water companies of Athens (EYDAP) and Thessaloniki (EYATH) were among the assets which were to be privatized according to the deal between the Greek government and its creditors.

After 2,5 years of struggle by groups in Athens (Save Greek Water) and Thessaloniki (Movement 136, Water Warriors, Soste to nero), two major events forced the government to stop. The one was the popular referendum in Thessaloniki (18 May 2014) where 98% of Thessalonians voted against the privatization of EYATH and the second was the Council of State decision 1906/2014 which ruled that the privatization of EYDAP is unconstitutional.

But the third memorandum deal pushes again for the privatization of water services. In the latest privatization plan there is a provision for the sale of 11% of EYDAP and 23% of EYATH (leaving just the 50% plus one stocks to the State) and there is a push for including the two companies in their entirety to a “superfund” which “does not belong to the public or broader public sector”.