Over One Million Voices to European Parliament: Stop Water Privatization

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/02/17-5



First European Citizens' Initiative calls for water to be human right, not a commodity

Over One Million Voices to European Parliament: Stop Water Privatization
- Andrea Germanos, staff writer
Published on Monday, February 17, 2014 by Common Dreams

Nearly nearly 1.7 million Europeans symbolically brought their voices to Brussels on Monday to say "water is a human right," not a commodity to be privatized.

The action comes as a result the first European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)—a tactic through which EU citizens can propose legislation if they show backing from at least one million EU citizens, coming from at least 7 out of the 28 member states. There is also a minimum number of signatories per member state required.

The campaign behind this first ECI, the Right2water, has three main goals. "Implement the human right to water, do not liberalize water services in the EU and do more to ensure people across the world have access to clean and safe water," stated Jan Willem Goudriaan, vice-president of the ECI Right2Water.

"We want the EU to change their mind-set from its current focus on competition and completely market-based approach, to a public service attitude and a rights-based approach. Water is a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health. It is a ‘natural’ monopoly and must be kept out of internal market rules," the campaign adds on its website.

[djean111]

1. Good luck to them! That Nestle CEO looked a bit too smug about stating that water is not a

right, though. Fix is in?

[Enthusiast]

2. What is this?

It is the proverbial no brainer.

There is no upside to privatizing anything. People here and in Europe better learn that quickly because the already obscenely rich have designs on Everything of value.