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BackOn 19.3.2014, the European Commission presented its official response to the first successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), called “right2water”, which collected about 2 million signatures. From the point of view of labour representatives and the initiators of the initiative, this response is wholly inadequate.
Demands by “right2water”
The organisers of this ECI come mainly from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), even though a large number of other trade union federations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and MEPs of the social-democratic, Green and Left parliamentary groups have also supported this initiative. The Chamber of Labour is also one of the official supporters of “right2water”.
It was the ECI’s objective to enshrine water as a human right in the European Union. Hence, services related to water shall not be surrendered to internal market liberalisation. On the contrary, free and affordable access to clean water has to be guaranteed for all.
Based on these demands, more than 1.9 million signatures were collected from all Member States and officially handed over to the Commission, which, however, is not obliged to submit a legislative proposal, but only to provide a written response to the request of the initiators within three months.
The response of the Commission
On 19.3.2014, Maroš Šefčovič (Commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administration) presented the conclusions of the Commission as to what the next steps in respect of the ECI will be. To start with, Šefčovič outlined measures already taken by the Commission, such as EU-wide standards for water quality or financial support for water infrastructure projects in the Member States.
Based on this, the Commissioner in a way threw the ball back to the Member States by stating that the actual responsibility for water services would be within the domain of national states.
Finally, Šefčovič presented a number of measures planned by the Commission, which predominantly just consist of declarations of intent, but do not include a concrete legislative proposal on guaranteeing the human right to water at European level.
Only the planned public consultation on the existing EU “Drinking Water Directive” could be a connecting factor so that at least part of the demands of “right2water” will after all be taken into account in the EU legislative process. However, “public consultations” too do not oblige the Commission to act in a certain way.
Initiators are disappointed
Jan Willem Goudriaan, Deputy General Secretary of EPSU, regrets the failure of providing a legislative proposal concerning the acknowledgement of water as a human right: “The reaction of the European Commission lacks any real ambition to respond appropriately to the expectations of 1.9 million people!”
However, “right2water” has been able to score a first success: at the start of 2014, the sector relating to water supply and sanitation has been exempt from the EU “Concessions Directive”, not least because of the enormous political pressure of “right2water“. Nevertheless, the Commission is still not willing to commit itself to exempt these sections during negotiations on trade agreements.
The austerity policy, prescribed within the scope of the Troika crisis policy for countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain is also not put into question with regard to water services. After all, in particular in this context, with the active involvement of the Commission, intense political and economic pressure had been put on the crisis countries, to radically privatise state-owned companies, which, for example in Greece and Portugal affect among other the water supply.
Outlook: keeping up the pressure!
The initiators of “right2water” are now demanding a comprehensive review of the EU Water Framework and Drinking Water Directive to enshrine the human right to water in the EU. Apart from that, the candidates for the forthcoming European elections in May 2014 have been called upon to prevent the liberalisation of water services in the new legislative period.
Trade unions and non-governmental organisations must continue to keep up the pressure to ensure that clean and affordable water is guaranteed as a human right for all people in Europe.
Further information:
Statement of the European Commission
Press release of “right2water” on the Commission Statement
The organisers of this ECI come mainly from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), even though a large number of other trade union federations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and MEPs of the social-democratic, Green and Left parliamentary groups have also supported this initiative. The Chamber of Labour is also one of the official supporters of “right2water”.
It was the ECI’s objective to enshrine water as a human right in the European Union. Hence, services related to water shall not be surrendered to internal market liberalisation. On the contrary, free and affordable access to clean water has to be guaranteed for all.
Based on these demands, more than 1.9 million signatures were collected from all Member States and officially handed over to the Commission, which, however, is not obliged to submit a legislative proposal, but only to provide a written response to the request of the initiators within three months.
The response of the Commission
On 19.3.2014, Maroš Šefčovič (Commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administration) presented the conclusions of the Commission as to what the next steps in respect of the ECI will be. To start with, Šefčovič outlined measures already taken by the Commission, such as EU-wide standards for water quality or financial support for water infrastructure projects in the Member States.
Based on this, the Commissioner in a way threw the ball back to the Member States by stating that the actual responsibility for water services would be within the domain of national states.
Finally, Šefčovič presented a number of measures planned by the Commission, which predominantly just consist of declarations of intent, but do not include a concrete legislative proposal on guaranteeing the human right to water at European level.
Only the planned public consultation on the existing EU “Drinking Water Directive” could be a connecting factor so that at least part of the demands of “right2water” will after all be taken into account in the EU legislative process. However, “public consultations” too do not oblige the Commission to act in a certain way.
Initiators are disappointed
Jan Willem Goudriaan, Deputy General Secretary of EPSU, regrets the failure of providing a legislative proposal concerning the acknowledgement of water as a human right: “The reaction of the European Commission lacks any real ambition to respond appropriately to the expectations of 1.9 million people!”
However, “right2water” has been able to score a first success: at the start of 2014, the sector relating to water supply and sanitation has been exempt from the EU “Concessions Directive”, not least because of the enormous political pressure of “right2water“. Nevertheless, the Commission is still not willing to commit itself to exempt these sections during negotiations on trade agreements.
The austerity policy, prescribed within the scope of the Troika crisis policy for countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain is also not put into question with regard to water services. After all, in particular in this context, with the active involvement of the Commission, intense political and economic pressure had been put on the crisis countries, to radically privatise state-owned companies, which, for example in Greece and Portugal affect among other the water supply.
Outlook: keeping up the pressure!
The initiators of “right2water” are now demanding a comprehensive review of the EU Water Framework and Drinking Water Directive to enshrine the human right to water in the EU. Apart from that, the candidates for the forthcoming European elections in May 2014 have been called upon to prevent the liberalisation of water services in the new legislative period.
Trade unions and non-governmental organisations must continue to keep up the pressure to ensure that clean and affordable water is guaranteed as a human right for all people in Europe.
Further information:
Statement of the European Commission
Press release of “right2water” on the Commission Statement