"Water is a Human Right!" is the first ever European Citizens Initiative!

(Press Communication - 4 September 2012) The first ever fully up and running European Citizens Initiative (ECI) is launched. "Water is a Human Right!" will be the first ECI in the history of the European Union to be collecting online and paper signatures. The website of the ECI is www.right2water.eu

This ECI is backed by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and a broad coalition of European civil society organisations (European Environmental Bureau, European Anti Poverty Network, European Public Health Alliance, Aqua Publica Europea & Women in Europe for a Common Future), with a national campaign in every single Member State.

Information about the ECI is also available in all 23 official languages of the European Union. Anne-Marie Perret, EPSU President and President of the Citizens Committee, said: “Water is a common good and not a commodity. With this ECI we want to build European public support to get the Human Right to water and sanitation enshrined in European legislation.”} {“Despite the delay in the ECI procedure and the many technical and political difficulties, we have finally launched this ECI thanks to the hard work of many. The task now is to engage in a public debate in all 27 European Union member states.” 

A million valid signatures have to be collected in 12 months. In the first half a day of online collection system (OCS) more than 1500 people have signed and more than 14.000 people have already signed in the paper forms. For more information contact, Pablo Sanchez, [email protected] - 00 32 (0) 474 62 66 33