The Committee on the Environment of the European Parliament voted on June 25th on a report about the European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. The European Water Movement, as one of the promoters of the ECI, welcomes the fact that the European Parliament takes a position and calls on the Commission to come forward with legislative proposals to make the human right to water a reality in Europe and beyond. We fully share their concern that nearly two million signatures cannot be ignored if the European Institutions don’t want to widen the huge gap between Brussels-based decisions and European Citizens.
European Parliament committee supports the human right to water
June, 25th 2015.
Brussels - The Committee on the Environment of the European Parliament voted today on a report about the European Citizen's Initiative (ECI) on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, as a result of a campaign that gathered nearly two million signatures all across Europe. Members of the European Parliament confirmed their strong support for the human right to water.
"European citizens have time and again spoken out in favour of water as a human right and a common good. Whenever asked, they have massively supported public water management", said David Sánchez, Campaigns Officer at Food & Water Europe, "MEPs in the Committee on Environment are asking the European Commission to act accordingly. We expect the Parliament's Plenary vote in September to confirm this result and the Commission to finally listen to EU citizens."
Daegu Human Right to Water Declaration
The following declaration was written by Korean and global water justice groups gathered at the Daegu Alternative Water Forum.
From April 12-14, Korean civil society organizations hosted an Alternative Water Forum in Daegu in opposition to the corporate-led World Water Forum 7 being held in the same city. One of the key concerns for the Korean Government Employees Union – the main organizers of the event — was the involvement of French multinational water corporation, Veolia. KGEU argues that Veolia used the corporate World Water Forum to cement its interests in the region (read more). The KGEU is fighting to keep water public in Korea and represents 140,000 public sector employees but has been refused legal status by the Korean government.
2015 Daegu Gyoungbuk declaration on the Human right to water
Water is life and a human right.
We declare our commitment to strong public water services for all!
We want the Human Right to Water and we want it now!
Call for an European wide mobilization for water, 22-24 March 2015
The European Water Movement has been claiming for years that access to water and sanitation is a human right, as confirmed by the UN in 2010. The movement was an integral part of the civil society coalition that managed to foster enough support and attention to make the voice of almost two million people heard at the European Union level. A year has passed since the so called 'positive' response from the European Commission to the first European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) and we are still waiting for concrete action.
Brussels declaration of the European Water Movement
Brussels, 23 March 2015.
Water organisations and movements from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Ireland, France and several European organisations gathered in Brussels to reclaim the recognition of the Human Rights to Water in Europe. We call on all other water organisations in Europe to join this solidarity statement with the Korean civil society that will organise the Alternative Water Forum in April.
The European water movement continues its struggle to get Water and sanitation as a Human Right in Europe. The almost 2 millions signatures of the first European Citizens Initiative show how far the European water movement has grown in strength and size. After the Italian referendum, the withdrawal of water in the list of issues to be privatised in Greece and the mass movement against water privatization in Ireland in these days we are looking forward further reinforcing this network of water movements around Europe.
The European Water Movement is part of a bigger worldwide struggle against commodification and privatisation of water promoted by governments, some local authorities and multinationals.
The European Commission Forgets About the Human Right to Water
Brussels - February 12th, 2015
The European Commission has published the statistical results of the public consultation on the Drinking Water Directive [1], their flagship reaction to the first successful European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) on the human right to water and sanitation. According to Food & Water Europe, the review of this Directive, the only major initiative about water included in the Commission’s Working Plan for 2015, does not address the demands of citizens who support the human right to water.
David Sánchez, campaigns officer at Food & Water Europe said, “Despite their propaganda, the answer of the European Commission to the first ever successful ECI was just a compilation of already ongoing actions. And the public consultation on the drinking water directive simply does not address any of the demands of the 1,8 million European citizens that supported the initiative. Even worse, this is the only major action about water in their agenda for 2015.”