European Water Movement | Defending Water as a Commons

EWM contribution to the call for evidence on targeted revision of the WFD - April 2026

Contribution of the European Water Movement to the Call for Evidence on the revision of the Water Framework Directive

April 2026

The last EEA report on Europe’s State of Water 2024 has highlighted frightening figures on the state of EU water, of which only 29% of surface water being in good chemical status, and where some of the main drivers have been clearly identified.

We would like to understand how “the initiative will promote access to these materials in the EU, while protecting the environment and human health” considering the revision will undoubtedly lead to the weakening of environmental safeguards.

Reopening the Water Framework Directive would entail far-reaching environmental, social, and institutional risks for the benefit of a few. It would weaken the protection of water resources, with direct consequences for the Human Right to Water, public and nature health, local and small-scale businesses, while shifting long-term costs onto communities and public authorities.

At a systemic level, it would erode core EU principles of precaution, prevention, rectification of pollution at source and non-regression, as well as broader foundations of democratic governance, including transparency, participation, coherence and the rule of law. Such a revision would also undermine legal certainty at national level and create dangerous precedents across sectors, opening the door to further derogations from environmental and social standards, including in agriculture and other high-impacting industries.

In light of these risks, we call on the European Commission to:

refrain from reopening the Directive and instead prioritise its full and effective implementation;
uphold and strengthen the non-deterioration principle and existing safeguards, make use of existing sufficient exemptions rather than expanding them;
ensure strict compliance with the Better Regulation Guidelines, including meaningful public participation, transparency, and the use of robust and comprehensive evidence;
address the root causes of pressures on water resources by prioritising demand-side measures, resource efficiency, and sustainable consumption; and
ensure that any policy developments fully respect fundamental rights, planetary boundaries, and the long-term public interest.

See more in our attached response.

Press Release on the Water Framework Directive - March 2026, Brussels

Subject: [Press Release] Organisations warn at the European Parliament about the risk of weakening the Water Framework Directive

Download the event images here

24 March 2026, Brussels - The European Water Movement and its members, experts from the European Environmental Bureau, ClientEarth, Engineers without Borders and EPSU, hosted by Diana Riba, Vicent Marza (Greens, ES) and César Luena (S&D, ES), have held a public discussion on ‘Competitiveness and environmental protection: two sides of the same coin - How the Water Framework Directive is the cornerstone of EU resilience’ at the European Parliament.

MEP Riba said “We know we need critical raw materials for the transition but if that means destroying rivers and lakes, we can’t call it a transition.”

MEP Marza said “Water contamination to nitrates, pesticides and others is a structural issue. Introducing further derogations to the non-deterioration principle isn’t simplification, it’s deregulation.”

MEP Luena said “Let’s not forget that water is a common good. Protection of water and competitiveness goes hand in hand.”

People’s Water Forum Statement on the UN 2026 Water Conference

We raise concerns about the direction of global water governance following the new UN appointment

As the People’s Water Forum, we have released a critical declaration regarding the appointment of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Water.

In this declaration, we express our **concerns—shared by social movements, communities, and organizations from around the world—**about the potential implications of this appointment for global water governance and for the effective protection of the human rights to water and sanitation. We raise key questions about the mandate, independence, and accountability mechanisms of the newly appointed Special Envoy, Retno L. P. Marsudi.

We also denounce the incidents affecting water defenders that took place during the 10th World Water Forum, held in Bali in May 2024, and situate these events within a broader context of shrinking civic space and the criminalization of the defense of water.

We reaffirm that water and sanitation are fundamental human rights and common goods, and we warn of the risk that international water governance processes may move away from a human rights–based approach in favor of multi-stakeholder models that do not ensure the central role of rights holders.

We have formally addressed this declaration to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, as well as to United Nations agencies and international institutions involved in water governance.

This position takes on particular relevance in the context of the upcoming Third United Nations Water Conference, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates from 2 to 4 December 2026. At this critical moment, we insist on the need to place the voices of affected communities, transparency, and accountability at the center of global water governance debates.

Read and download the full declaration here.

See the Press Release of 26 January 2026 here.

Hands off Nature Campaign - Petition to protect water

TAKE ACTION to protect water and life now!

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

Forests are thinning, rivers are drying, wildlife is vanishing. We’re losing clean air, safe water, and the green spaces we rely on. And yet, the European laws that have been safeguarding our nature are being quietly dismantled – under the false promise of “simplification”.

Simply put: Our nature is under attack. We cannot let this happen.

Learn more about the Hands off Nature Campaign here

TAKE ACTION Click on the link and join the movement (more than 125,000 people have already signed)

It will take you 1 minute to say 'MY HEALTH AND NATURE ARE NOT UP FOR SALE'

Powerful polluting industries and their political allies are dismantling Europe’s environmental laws - trading our health and future for profit and power.

These reckless attacks threaten our clean drinking water, safe food, fresh air, and healthy nature. They fuel pollution linked to cancer, respiratory diseases, and other serious health risks - all decided behind closed doors without our consent.

We demand that our European leaders defend the laws that protect people and nature, not bow to polluters and vested interests.

Because when nature’s protections are weakened, everyone pays the price, including our kids and future generations. This is a choice: the health of 450 million Europeans vs. short-term gains for a few. Sign now. Don't let polluters speak for you. Give nature a voice!

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Attacks on our drinking water are happening as we speak.

Right now, our leaders are handing out permits to poison our water. Powerful polluting industries (e.g. mining, chemical, industrial agriculture) and reckless lawmakers are tearing down the EU water law that keeps our water toxic-free, your rivers clean, and your health protected. For the past 25 years, this water law has driven the clean up of our rivers and lakes.

And that’s not all. Forever chemicals might now stay with us indefinitely, deforestation cannot be stopped in the future anymore, and protecting iconic species and landscapes will be a thing of the past. They are killing vital nature laws one by one.

In Europe, we have decades-old laws that protect people and nature. They work well. Let’s keep it that way.

Stand up for yourself, for your water, for nature, for your children. Sign our petition now and share it widely.

EWM Final Declaration - Girona Annual Meeting 2025

Girona, 8 December 2025

The EWM Annual Meeting 2025 came at a particularly critical moment, marked by deregulation processes promoted by the European Commission, growing pressure on water resources, and increasing frequency of prolonged droughts and floods. This context coincides with a key preparatory year for the third UN World Water Conference (December 2026), where Member States will need to define their positions and commitments.

This scenario is further complicated by the rise of far-right political forces across Europe, which drives deregulation and threatens fundamental rights such as universal access to water, recognized by the UN General Assembly and enshrined in the Drinking Water Directive.

In this context, the Girona meeting offered a platform for analyzing the impacts of European policies on water management and for developing strategies to defend water as a common and a fundamental human right. The event featured international, European, and national experts, providing critical and rigorous insights into current water-related challenges.

During the Girona meeting, held from 5 to 7 December, the European Water Movement (EWM), raised serious concerns regarding the negative consequences of the revision of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) announced by the European Commission on 10 December 2025, arguing it’s an obstacle for projects’ permitting such as mining projects. One of the main objectives of the meeting was to analyse the proposed deregulation of EU water-related legislation, both in terms of legislative amendment and financing mechanisms.

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