Water and sanitation are a human right!

Right to water is an European citizens initiative launched to ensure that water remains a public service and a public good.

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A big thank you to all petitioners! We achieved the first part of the job.

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Campaigning and mobilization after collecting almost 2 million signatures.

The European Commission has partly addressed our demands in the proposed Drinking Water Directive! This is great news.

Now what ? There is still work to be done

We invite the European Commission to propose legislation implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations.

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Our goals

No liberalisation of water services
Guaranteed water and sanitation for all in Europe
Universal (Global) access to 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.

Our proposals to the European Commission

To use the Human Right to Water and Sanitation in all communications on Water and/or Sanitation.
To guarantee water (safe, clean and affordable) and sanitation services to all of the populations in EU Member States.
To refrain from turning water services into commercial services by excluding water from internal market rules. This can be achieved by a commitment of the European Commission:
Not to liberalise water and sanitation services.
Not to include water and sanitation services in Trade Agreements such as CETA.
To promote Public-Public Partnerships.
To enshrine the “water is not a commodity” principle of the Water Framework Directive in all EU water and water-related policies.
To define that protecting our water environment will prevail over commercial policies.
To initiate support programmes for people that can not pay their bill with the aim to prevent disconnections of users.
To ensure that private water companies operating water services provide complete transparency and openness regarding their contracts (no role for commercial confidentiality in this public service).
To promote citizens’ participation in accordance with the water framework directive.
To increase access to water and sanitation worldwide, by making the achievement of universal access to water and sanitation part of EU development policy.
To promote Public-public partnerships (Water Operator Partnerships) based on not-for-profit principles and solidarity between water operators and workers in different countries.
To enshrine into law that control over water and water resources must remain in public hands.
To support public water companies in the EU and other countries that lack the capital to invest in the extension of Water and Sanitation services to the poor.
To promote water operators to dedicate a percentage of their annual turnover for water operator partnerships in developing countries. (like in The Netherlands and in France).
To promote a European benchmarking system to raise quality public water services.
To design a governance code for water companies in the EU-27.

In Europe
1 Million people have no water access
8 Millions people have no sanitation

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