(Brussels March 22 2019) The European institutions have not agreed to implement the Right2water into European legislation. The governments ignored the demands of the people as expressed in the European Citizens’ Initiative, the large majority of the European Parliament together with a proposal of the European Commission set a first step. EPSU calls on MEP candidates to vote and voice their opinion in favour of the right to water and sanitation. Legislating on this human right should be a priority in the first months of the new European Parliament. Our campaign established that 16 million people in the EU risk being cut off from their water supply as they can not pay their bill. The European Parliament will vote on its position on the Drinking Water Directive next week (28 March).

EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan says that “The human right to water and sanitation is key for Europe’s people, our lives and our societies. It is extremely disappointing that some governments continue to deny citizens this right. We continue to fight for what citizens demand. We will ask the new European Parliament to implement the human right to water in EU legislation”. Mr. Goudriaan is vice-President of the Citizens’ Committee of the ECI.

Support for the Right2Water ECI is a test for the Europe we want. A Europe close to its people and a Europe that respects everyone’s voice. Europe should address poverty and ensure that human rights for working people and for our communities are respected. The ECI stands for a Europe that does not liberalise its water and public services and that puts human rights first in its development policies.