http://www.epsu.org/a/10728 " With respect to the human right to water and
sanitation, “right2water” has deliberately focused on the aspects of
availability, accessibility and affordability of water supply and
wastewater disposal. Quality of drinking water and security of supply –
both important aspects of achieving this human right – are in principle
effectively ensured by the Drinking Water Directive. Ongoing improvement
of this Directive is desirable, but not sufficient to attain the goals
of “right2water”. The Commission must therefore as a priority support
Member States in improving availability, accessibility and
affordability. Our expectations of the Commission are that it should
make legislative proposals which entitle all inhabitants of the EU to
the human right to water and sanitation and require Member States to
implement this human right.
No access to drinking water and sanitation for people in the EU
constitutes discrimination against them. Countering this discrimination
definitively is a key task for the Commission, which it cannot leave to
the Member States. Also by having strived for liberalisation of water
management – most recently by means of Concession Directive 2014/23/EU –
and not precluding it for the future by a clear legal instrument (also
as a result of the reporting pursuant to Article 53, 3rd paragraph), the
Commission refuses to combat this discrimination. After all, it is a
government task, not the object of private undertakings, to achieve the
human right.
This is particularly important with regard to the possible content of Free Trade Agreements, such as the TTIP, CETA and TISA, which to our knowledge do not permanently exclude water management with absolute certainty. If the Commission takes no steps to enshrine the human right to water and sanitation in EU law, it denies people the possibility of taking action against discrimination suffered."
Advice from EPSU -full article at http://www.epsu.org/a/10728
This is particularly important with regard to the possible content of Free Trade Agreements, such as the TTIP, CETA and TISA, which to our knowledge do not permanently exclude water management with absolute certainty. If the Commission takes no steps to enshrine the human right to water and sanitation in EU law, it denies people the possibility of taking action against discrimination suffered."
Advice from EPSU -full article at http://www.epsu.org/a/10728
