29 october 2023
The European Water Movement (EWM) strongly condemns the ongoing siege and denial of water and other basic necessities to the people of Gaza by the Israeli government. We call upon all actors involved to respect human rights and international law in their actions.
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.
For the past 2 years, “les Soulèvements de la Terre” has been leading or joining forces in the fight against a multitude of absurd projects that are harmful to the environment and nature, in particular water-related projects such as the mega-basins at Sainte Soline.
In the face of popular support and the symbolic significance of their actions, “les Soulèvements de la Terre” has been subjected to a campaign of denigration and stifling, ranging from accusations of eco-terrorism to an attempt by the government to dissolve the organisation. This campaign has just suffered a major setback with the suspension of their dissolution by the courts. This is a 1st victory, as this fundamental decision remains temporary.
The European Water Movement, share not only the fight against mega-basins, but also the idea that the struggle to preserve the common good that is water is intimately linked to the other struggles highlighted by “les Soulèvements de la Terre”. We are also convinced that these struggles know no borders.
The European Water Movement therefore :
Accra, Ghana - The Africa Water Justice Network, a Pan-African water justice group, vehemently condemns the seminar held on 10th July by the City of Tshwane in collaboration with representatives of the apartheid Israeli government, showcasing alleged "international best practices" in water governance. We are deeply concerned about the irony of the apartheid Israeli government attempting to present itself as a model for water governance, while simultaneously perpetuating human rights violations and exposing their intentions to pursue water privatization in Africa for profit at the expense of low-income communities who cannot afford market rates for water.
The SEDIF project is not viable from the point of view of European water policy either. On Tuesday 18 July, the European Parliament's Petitions Committee gave urgent consideration to a petition initiated by our association and took a series of measures to support it. This successful action concludes our campaign as part of the public debate which ends on 20 July, and opens up a new direction for our fight over the coming months. Update of 20 July: the Chair of the Petitions Committee, Ms Dolors Montserrat, has acknowledged the admissibility of the petition and the action taken (letter to be downloaded below).
Update of 20 July: Download the letter from the Chair of the Petitions Committee.
With several co-signatories, we filed a petition with the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions on 12 May 2023. It is registered under number 0478/2023 (it must appear on the European Parliament's website within four months of submission).
On Tuesday 18 July, the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions held an urgent examination of the petition concerning the Syndicat des Eaux d'Île-de-France's plan to use low-pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) to treat drinking water.
On April 13, 14 and 15, a meeting in person was held by the European Water Movement (EWM) in Brussels to analyse the status of implementation of the Right to Water in Europe and establish a line of action towards the current critical situation of water in Europe under the threat of droughts, climate crisis, water grabbing, pollution, as well as commodification and privatization policies. The meeting was attended by over 20 people from 9 countries (Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Spain). This event was also an opportunity to meet some MEPs in order to discuss the future of water in Europe, to illustrate some situations at national and regional level, confirming in the meantime the need to guarantee the Human Right to Water and our position in favour of a public governance of water.
Following our letter to MEPs of last April on the 2023 UN Water Conference and the Manifesto on Water Justice addressed to the UN at the aforesaid Conference, EWM demands that the policy on water pursued throughout Europe and in particular by EU institutions, addressing the following priority issues: