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It has been a while since we last informed you about what’s
going on in Europe.
But plenty is happening. First, the right2water European
Citizens Initiative (ECI) is going to be discussed again at the European
Parliament (EP). However, this time it is possible that all the elements that
the European Commission left out in their positive response to our ECI will be
included. We will never stop repeating it, until we get it: we want European Union legislation to
implement the Human Right to water as defined by the United Nations.
The EP report is being coordinated by Lynn Boylan, an Irish
Member of the European Parliament (MEP). In the coming months we are going to
be asking you to email your local MEP to ensure that the three points that you
signed up for are properly taken up by Parliamentarians today and governments
tomorrow.
But the parliamentary front it is not the only one where
things are bubbling up. After the successful campaign in Greece to stop water
privatisation, people are getting organised in Ireland to fight for the right
to water. The Irish Government created a new water company (Irish Water) that
has started to introduce water meters that bring water charges. This has
created uproar against the Government. Irish campaigners have organised the
biggest anti-austerity demo in a decade. As the issue is quite involved, we
will publish a full explanatory article on the web.
Also in France campaigners are fighting against water
disconnections, which are illegal. They have managed to get private operator,
Veolia, to pay over 6000€ in compensation to a family for having denied their
basic right to water. The same kind of mobilisation is happening in Spain. It
is estimated that last year private operators threatened over 900000 families
with disconnection from their water supply. In Portugal, there was a minor
setback. The parliament rejected a popular petition to stop water privatisation
drawn up by friends of Agua de todos. Nevertheless, the campaign continues. The
determination and popular support are there and they will continue to mobilise.
They didn’t collect over 40.000 signatures for nothing.
This is just a glimpse of all that is happening. We’ll come
back in the New Year with more news and more tasks in the campaign to get the
Human Right to water recognised.
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Advice from EPSU
