Water is a Human Right

Water and sanitation are a human right!

Water is a public good, not a commodity. We invite the European Commission to propose legislation implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all. The EU legislation should require governments to ensure and to provide all citizens with sufficient and clean drinking water and sanitation. We urge that:

The EU institutions and Member States be obliged to ensure that all inhabitants enjoy the right to water and sanitation.
Water supply and management of water resources not be subject to ‘internal market rules’ and that water services are excluded from liberalisation.
The EU increases its efforts to achieve universal access to water and sanitation.

Council puts provisions on Right2Water at risk – Urgent need to mobilise

(20 June 2018) Next Monday, June 25, the Council of the European Union will discuss for the first time ever the European Citizens Initiative Right2water.

World Water Day 2018 still fighting for Human Right to Water

(22 March 2018) Today is World Water Day. Four years ago we completed the first ever successful European Citizens Initiative for the Human Right to water.

European Parliament considers revised Regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative

(23 February 2018) The experience of many campaigners and organisations with running ECI’s has not been positive.

New study demands Commission to support institutional environment for Human Right to Water – and to avoid threats to it

(8 February 2018) The European Commission published its proposals for a Recast of the Drinking Water Directive, 1 February 2018.

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Supporting organisations

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European Public Health Alliance

European Federation of Public Service Unions

European Anti-Poverty Network

Women in Europe for a Common Future

European Environmental Bureau

Aqua Publica Europea

European Trade Union Confederation

Social Platform

FYEG

Ambassadors

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Martin LIIVAMAGI

Swimmer in the Estonian Olympic team

Swimmer in the Estonian Olympic team: "Water is health and I need that to training"

KALLE LIIVAMÄGI

The Trade Union of State and Self-Government Institutions Workers- ROTAL(Estonia)

Monika KOSINSKA

General Secretary European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), Poland: "Water and sanitation services cannot be treated as an ordinary commodity when they are so essential to life itself. People cannot live without water, children do not grow up healthily. Access to drinking water is a very basic requirement, a fundamental human right. And yet in Europe, water and sanitation services are increasingly privatized, making their access more difficult for people who cannot pay for them"

Conny REUTER

Social Platform President, Germany

President Social Platform (Germany): "Social Platform is pleased to support the campaign “Water is a human right” as access to affordable public services is a key concern of our members. Moreover, water is not an ordinary commodity: it is a basic requirement, a fundamental human right. Social Platform therefore asks EU decision makers to protect access to water from commercial interests and to promote a rights-based approach."

Christiane FRANCK

Directrice général de l’intercommunale belge Vivaqua et Administratrice déléguée d’Aqua Publica Europea

Directrice générale de l’intercommunale belge Vivaqua et Administratrice déléguée d’Aqua Publica Europea: «Au sein d’Aqua Publica Europea, association qui regroupe les principaux acteurs publics de l’eau européens, je me bats pour que l’eau, bien public, reste entre les mains du public. » Christiane Franck, directeur-generaal van de Belgische intercommunale Vivaqua en gedelegeerd bestuurder van Aqua Publica Europea, steunt de actie 'right2water'. "Binnen Aqua Publica Europea, de Europese vereniging van de openbare wateroperatoren, strijd ik ervoor dat het beheer van het water, als openbaar goed, in handen van de openbare sector blijft".

Christian MEIDLINGER

President

President GdG-KMSfB, Austria

Hanna-Maria Seppälä

Successful Finnish Olympic swimmer and world champion: "Water is a crucially important element for me for the sake of training, good physical condition and health. Water is the basic prerequisite for life and, therefore, safe, clean water should be a basic right available to everyone."

Hans VAN DIJK

Emeritus Professor at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands: "Quality public water services are an indispensable part of modern society. They require high skills and knowledge and a balanced consideration of the interests of consumers, governments, workers and the environment!"

Sascha GABIZON

Executive Director of Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), Netherlands: “We might want to make remark how important this human right to water and sanitation is especially for women, especially in developing countries and countries in transition, that it is often a question of life, death, illness and violence against women, and that we are VERY concerned that its some of the rich countries in the north, were sanitation is not a question of death, illness and violence, which are trying to turn back this new human right, which was agreed in 2010 by the UN general assembly”

Eberhard van der Laan

Mayor of Amsterdam

Mayor of Amsterdam (Netherlands): "Amsterdam heeft een van de beste drinkwatervoorzieningen in de wereld. Onze kennis delen we met steden die dat nodig hebben. Binnen Europa en daar buiten. Dat is onze plicht. Het gaat hier om een mensenrecht, want een gezond leven begint bij schoon drinkwater." - “Amsterdam has one of the best water supply in the world. We share our knowledge with cities that need it, in and outside Europe. That is our duty. Water is a human right. A healthy life starts with clean drinking water”.

Ewout IRRGANG

Member of the Socialist Party, Netherlands

Ludo HOREMANS

President of the European Anti-Poverty Network, Belgium. “Everybody has a basic right to clean, safe water at an affordable price. This is a fundamental human right. EAPN members increasingly highlight rising prices and declining standards of water in many countries, as with other key public services, often as result of liberalisation and privatization, without safeguards for guaranteeing social rights and standards. EAPN strongly supports this campaign to safeguard water as a key public good, a cornerstone of a progressive social and sustainable EU, and a key tool in the fight against poverty”

Peter SOULSBY

Mayor of Leicester

Mayor of Leicester (UK)

Erhard BUSEK

Chairman of the Institute for the Danube region and Central Europe (IDM) in Vienna, Austria. "Water is life. The ecological situation for us will be more and more dependent on water. We have to do a lot to keep this condition of life available for everybody."

Rosa PAVANELLI

General Secretary PSI

Public Services International (PSI) General Secretary: "Implementing this human right is the cornerstone of our work in the public water and sanitation sector. PSI member unions are mobilising to strengthen our democracies, to build stronger connections with community groups, to hold our officials accountable and to ensure universal access to quality public services for clean water and sanitation"

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Water and sanitation are a human right!

Latest News

Council puts provisions on Right2Water at risk – Urgent need to mobilise

World Water Day 2018 still fighting for Human Right to Water

European Parliament considers revised Regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative

New study demands Commission to support institutional environment for Human Right to Water – and to avoid threats to it