Right to water and sustainable financing

Water is a common good, and access to it is a fundamental human right. Water needs to be managed in a socially responsible way to ensure everyone has a fair share, and to secure its conservation for the benefit of future generations.

Aqua Publica Europea works to help its members realise the right to water, and reconcile it with environmental and financial sustainability.

APE Events

APE Seminar | How to Ensure Water Affordability: Approaches And Challenges

Italy
10 October 2017 10:00–13:00

On the 10th of October Aqua Publica Europea and Utilitialia, the national federation of Italian utilities, organised a seminar on Water Affordability during the Festival dell Acqua in Bari (Italy). The aim of the seminar was to present the approaches to ensuring the access to water in different European countries, including Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Scotland.

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APE Events

WORLD WATER WEEK | Water Operators’ Partnerships Europe: Leveraging utilities, governments & investments for SDGs

Sweden 28 August 2019

Aqua Publica Europea is co-organising, with the European Commission's Directorate General for Development and International Cooperation (DG DEVCO) and with the Global Water Operator Partnership Alliance (GWOPA) a session to discuss the potential of not-for-profit water operator partnerships in the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water

APE Events

The Human Right to Water and Tariffs in the Ecologic Transition - Madrid, Spain

Spain 23 November 2018

On 23 November, Aqua Publica's Spanish members AEOPAS (Spanish association of public operators) and EMASESA (Sevilla), along with the Instituto Estudios de la Tierra, organise an event on the human right to water and tariffs in policies for the ecologic transition, hosted by the Ministry for the Ecologic Transition in

Members' activities

New Water Erasmus: Scottish Water exchanges on public fountains with Eau de Paris

In the framework of the APE Water Erasmus programme, members of Scottish Water’s personnel travelled to Paris in August to exchange on the supply of water in public spaces. As Paris is currently deploying forty new water fountains in the city, Scotland is also planning on proposing the installation of

News

Aqua Publica Europea calls on EU Ministers to support improved access to water

EU Environment Ministers are expected to discuss the recast of the Drinking Water Directive on Monday 25 June. In view of their meeting, Aqua Publica Europea sent a letter, on 21 June 2018, to all the Ministers urging them to support the European Commission's efforts to improve access to water

Members' activities

Aguas de Cádiz presents its new strategy devised through citizen participation

The Spanish operator Aguas de Cádiz has presented its new strategic plan, which spans over 10 years and foreseen the investment of over 60 million. This plan is unique of its kind in the sense that it was put together through an innovative process of citizen participation. Read more on

APE Events

APE Seminar | Water Affordability in Europe

Belgium 20 October 2016

On the 20th of October 2016, Aqua Publica Europea (APE) organised a seminar on Water Affordability, which was attended by a wide-ranging audience of institutional representatives, experts, NGOs and other stakeholders. The seminar built on the outcomes of an APE report mapping affordability approaches in different European countries.

Members' activities

Promoting Tap Water as Drinking Water

Many people are still wary about the quality of their tap water, even though tap water in Europe is subject to rigorous and frequent controls ensuring it is wholesome and complies with all relevant European standards. APE promotes the exchange on initiatives and communication actions put in place by its

APE Publications and Studies

Water Affordability - Public Operators Views and Approaches on Tackling Water Poverty

Nowadays the international community widely acknowledges that the affordability of water and sanitation services is crucial for the realization of the human right to water. However, water affordability is a multi-faceted concept, encompassing various—and not only economic—dimensions. For this reason, ensuring affordability is a complex task, which entails both methodological

Members' activities

AEOPAS requests Spanish authorities to implement the human right to water

AEOPAS, the Spanish association of public water operators, has called for a revision of the Spanish legal framework on water In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognised access to drinking water and sanitation as a fundamental human right in its resolution A/RES/64/292. In 2013, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)

Members' activities

Study on residential consumption of water in Wallonia

Aquawal, the Wallon association of water operators, has contributed to a new study on water and electricity consumption in Wallonia (Belgium). The study identifies some interesting factors related to consumption patterns and affordability, namely that the price of water does not seem to influence the consumption patterns of households. In

News

APE Welcomes EP Report on ECI Right2Water

On Tuesday 8 September 2015, the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report on the follow-up to the European Citizen Initiative (ECI) Right2Water. Aqua Publica Europea, the European Association of Public Water Operators, welcomes the text adopted by the European Parliament, as it provides a very positive answer to the expectations