The European Citizen Initiative Water is a Human Right was initiated and is coordinated by the European Public Services Union (EPSU), with 9 NGOs including EAPN. The campaign was also supported by many other organisations. This ECI gathered 1,884,790 signatures, succeeding to go over 1 million signatures to be received by the European Commission. The campaign is still running though, as the European Commission has taken action despite the official receivability of the ECI. The ECI campaign is now over, but the campaign Water is a Human Right is also happening at global level, through various initiatives including Global Water Justice Campaign – Facebook: https://facebook.com/HRtoH2O and Twitter: @HRtoH2O.
Fundamentals of the ECI Campaign:
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. Through the ECI, we demanded 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.
