Activities of József NAGY related to 2014/2239(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the follow-up to the European Citizens’ Initiative Right2Water
Amendments (22)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the Commission’s follow- up to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Right2Water (R2W), as proposed in its communication, falls short of expectationdoes not meet citizens’ expectations of concrete actions and legislative proposals as the Commission had already announced that it would step up efforts towards ensuring full implementation of EU water legislation by the Member States, reviewing the EU Drinking Water Directive and proposing amendments;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that an ECI is an important tool of participatory democracy for making citizens’ voices heard in the legislative procedure and that an admissible and appropriate successful ECI should in principle result in a new Commission legislative proposal, at least when the Commission has committed itself to doing so, as in the case of the ECI R2W;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Insist that the Commission effectively implements the ECI regulation and proceeds for the removal of all administrative burdens encountered by citizens when submitting and following an ECI, and urges the Commission to consider the implementation of a common ECIs’ registering system to all Member States.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Considers that more should be done to improve the quality and quantity of the information available to citizens in relation to water quality and services; Insists that the response given by the EC to the Right2Water ECI is insufficient; asks the European Commission with regard this particular ECI to lead a serious information campaign on the measures that have already been taken in the field of water and how these measures could contribute to the achievements of the objectives of the Right2Water ECI,
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Reminds the Member States on their responsibility in implementing EU law; urges them to fully implement the EU Drinking Water Directive and all related legislation,
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Reminds the MS to identify their spending priorities and to make full use of the opportunities of EU financial support in the water sector provided in the new financial programming period ( 2014- 2020), in particular through an investment priority specifically centred on water management,
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Recalls that water is a basic human right that should be accessible and affordable to all; highlights that Member States have a duty to ensure that water should be guaranteed to all via considering the most suitable public or private operators who deliver quality water to the public while making sure that the operators provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation,
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2f. Recognises that Member States in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity have the right to choose different schemes for water delivery; declares that water should not be a source of illegitimate profit for neither public nor private operators, calls for increased transparency and information in water management and water pricing schemes within the Member States,
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Notes that Member States should pay special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups of the society and to ensure affordability and accessibility of quality water to those in need as well,
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that every year itssince 1988 the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament has been receivesing a significant number of petitions from EU citizens expressing their concerns about water quality and quantity and waste- water management; Draws attention to the number of negative factors - like waste landfills; failure by authorities to control water quality; irregular or unlawful agricultural and industrial practices - denounced by petitioners which impact on the environment and human health and are responsible for poor water quality, considers that these petitions demonstrate a genuine interest on the part of citizens in thorough enforcement and further development of water-related EU legislation;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Urges the Commission, the Member States and regional and local authorities to stimulate a more structured and intersectoral dialogue between stakeholders bringing together public and private service operators, to allow citizens to engage more actively on issues related to water,
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to draw up binding legislation to ensure that all information on water quality and water management is made available by the competent authorities to the citizens concerned in an easily accessible and understandable form, and that citizens are fully informed in good time about any water-management projects so that they can be consulted and get involved;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it regrettable that the communication lacks any real ambition and limits itself to reiterating existing commitments; Insists that the response given by the EC to the Right2Water ECI is insufficient; asks the European Commission with regard this particular ECI to lead a serious information campaign on the measures that have already been taken in the field of water and how these measures could contribute to the achievements of the objectives of the Right2Water ECI;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls the Commission to develop the idea of benchmarking water quality as a way of empowering citizens;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States to complete their River Basin Management Plans as a matter of urgency and to implement them properly with full respect for the overriding ecological criteria; draws attention to the fact that certain Member States are increasingly confronted with damaging floods and their severe impact on the local population; points out that the River Basin Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive and the Flood Risk Management Plans under the Floods Directive are a great opportunity to exploit synergies between the instruments that help achieve clean water in sufficient quantities while reducing flood risk;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, in line with the primary objective of the Right2Water ECI, to coming forward with legislative proposals – including a possible revision of the WFD and of the Drinking Water Directive, as it has already announced – that would recognise universal access and the human right to water, and considers it regrettable that this has not been done to date; believes that if the Commission fails to do so, the ECIU as such will lose credibility as a democratic mechanism in the eyes of citizens; in the eyes of citizens, due to the fact that successful and widely supported ECIs through the supposingly democratic mechanism established by the Lisbon Treaty are neglected by the Commission;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Reminds the Member States on their responsibility in implementing EU law; urges them to fully implement the EU Drinking Water Directive and all related legislation;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Recalls that water is a basic human right that should be accessible and affordable to all; highlights that Member States have a duty to ensure that water should be guaranteed to all via considering the most suitable public or private operators who deliver quality water to the public while making sure that the operators provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Highlights the success of some public- public partnerships in exchanging best practice in water provision, calls on the Commission, therefore, to promote this form of non- profit cooperation among water operators, and welcomes the Commission’s recognition for the first time, in the communication, of the importance of public-public partnerships;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recognises that Member States in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity have the right to choose different schemes for water delivery; declares that water should not be a source of illegitimate profit for neither public nor private operators, calls for increased transparency and information in water management and water pricing schemes within the Member States;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes that Member States should pay special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups of the society and to ensure affordability and accessibility of quality water to those in need as well;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Encourages water companies to reinvest all economic revenues generated from the water management cycle into maintaining and improving water services and protecting water resources;