European Commission publishes response to Right2Water campaign

Promises revived commitment to water as a public good

18.04.2014 |

The Right2Water campaign was the first European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) that met the requirements for evaluation by the European Commission. WECF supported the campaign by collecting signatures and raising awareness in the Netherlands. With over 1.6 million signatures from across Europe, the campaign was submitted in December 2013. The response of the European Commission was published on the 19th of March.

In its Communication, the European Commission reaffirms its commitment to water as a public good and not a commodity. Moreover, it promises to encourage EU Member States to fulfill their obligations in providing sanitation and clean drinking water as a basic human right. The Right2Water campaign, while optimistic about the commitment promised in the response, had hoped for a stronger reaction including steps towards concrete policy changes.

The European Civic Forum has nominated Right2Water as Best Campaign of 2013 as part of the European Democratic Citizenship Awards. These awards celebrate civil society initiatives that spark innovation and social change. You can vote for Right2Water here until April 25th!

Read the European Commissions’ Communication here.
For more information visit Right2Water’s website.

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