In our Spring 2021 newsletter, we talk about World Water Day 2021, we welcome two new members, we introduce our new Webinar series and public water operators' activities.

Aqua Publica Europea welcomes two new members: The City of Vienna | Vienna Water and Amjasa, the public water operator of Jávea, Spain.

On 26 February 2021, Aqua Publica Europea organised a webinar on the opportunities for the water sector in the new EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, with Dr Panagiotis Balabanis, Head of Water Sector at Directorate-General for Research & Innovation of the European Commission and Mattia Ceracchi, Head of EU Liaison Office of APRE – Italian Agency for the Promotion of European Research.

Aqua Publica Europea, the European association of public water operators, had co-signed, with the European Public Services Union (EPSU), a letter to European Commissioners Virginijus Sinkevičius (Environment, Oceans and Fisheries) and Nicolas Smit (Jobs and Social Rights) calling for concrete proposals for the realisation of the rights to water and sanitation through a rights-based approach. , calling for concrete proposals for the realisation of the rights to water and sanitation through a rights-based approach.

Aqua Publica Europea, the European Association of Public Water Operators welcomes the formal adoption of the Drinking Water Directive. With this new text, citizens will continue to enjoy clean and safe water no matter where they are in Europe. They will also have access to more information, thus fostering more confidence in tap water. However, we believe more could have been done by the EU.

In our Autumn 2020 newsletter, we talk about the new appointed Aqua Publica Europea President, our new members, the last news on public water operators innovation projects and it is included a section to different news on public management.

On the World Toilet Day 2020, Aqua Publica Europea calls on governments and institutions to take – where needed – all necessary actions to ensure that everyone has access to essential water and hygiene services, leaving no one behind.

On Monday 16 November, the Board of Directors of Aqua Publica appointed Mr Bernard Van Nuffel, President of VIVAQUA (Brussels’ water operator), as the new Chairman of the Association. Mr Van Nuffel succeeds Ms Célia Blauel (Eau de Paris, France).

‘Public Water and COVID-19: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings’ provides an overview of public water operators' response to Covid-19 and the impact that the pandemic has had on the public water sector. Released this week, the book has been jointly published by the Municipal Service Project, Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Transnational Institute.