8 Amendments of Luke Ming FLANAGAN related to 2017/0332(COD)
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Directive 98/83/EC set the legal framework to protect human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean. This Directive should pursue the same objective, with the added aim that such uncontaminated potable water should be available to all and should not be dependent on affordability. To that end, it is necessary to lay down at Union level the minimum requirements with which water intended for that purpose must comply. Member States should take the necessary measures to ensure that water intended for human consumption is free from any micro- organisms and parasites and from substances which, in certain cases, constitute a potential danger to human health, and that it meets those minimum requirements.
Amendment 124 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2 a) the The Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) was recognised as a human right by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 28 July 2010 and that thus, access to clean potable water should not be restricted due to unaffordability by the end user;
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Following the conclusion of the European citizens' initiative on the right to water (Right2Water)71 , a Union-wide public consultation was launched and a Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) Evaluation of Directive 98/83/EC was performed72 . It became apparent from that exercise that certain provisions of Directive 98/83/EC needed to be updated. Four areas were identified as offering scope for improvement, namely the list of quality-based parametric values, the limited reliance on a risk-based approach, the imprecise provisions on consumer information, and the disparities between approval systems for materials in contact with water intended for human consumption. In addition, the European citizens' initiative on the right to water identified as a distinct problem the fact that due to the fact that they cannot afford the charges imposed for supply, part of the population, especially marginalised groups, has nolimited access to water intended for human consumption, which is also a; this is in conflict with the commitment under Sustainable Development Goal 6 of UN Agenda 2030. A final issue identified is the general lack of awareness of water leakages, which are driven by underinvestment in maintenance and renewal of the water infrastructure, as also pointed out in the European Court of Auditors' Special Report on water infrastructure73 . _________________ 71 COM(2014) 177 final 72 SWD(2016) 428 final 73 Special report of the European Court of Auditors SR 12/2017: "Implementing the Drinking Water Directive: water quality and access to it improved in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, but investment needs remains substantial".
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Apart from the issue of how water supply is paid for by the end users, whether through general taxation or through individual charges, Member States should no longer be authorised to grant derogations from this or any associated Directive. Derogations were initially used to allow Member States up to nine years to resolve a non-compliance with a parametric value. This procedure proved to be burdensome for Member States and Commission alike. In addition, in some cases, it led to delays in remedial actions being taken, as the possibility for derogation was considered as a transitional period. The provision on derogations should therefore be deleted. For reasons of protection of human health, when parametric values are exceeded, the provisions related to remedial actions should apply immediately without the possibility of granting a derogation from the parametric value. Derogations granted by Member States pursuant to Article 9 of Directive 98/83/EC and still applicable at the date of entry into force of this Directive should, however, continue to apply until the end of the derogation but should not be renewed.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Commission, in its reply to the European citizens’ initiative ‘Right2Water’ in 201483 , invited Member States to ensure access to a minimum water supply for all citizens, in accordance with the WHO recommendations. It also committed to continue to "improve access to safe drinking water […] for the whole population through environmental policies"84 . This isBecause this is a) 'a minimum water supply' and can thus mean charges for usage above that minimum for those who can't least afford it, and b) does not include the word 'equitable', this is not in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 and the associated target to "achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all". The concept of equitable access covers a wide array of aspects such as availability (due for instance to geographic reasons, lack of infrastructure or the specific situation of certain parts of the populations), quality, acceptability, or financial affordability. Concerning affordability of water, it is important to recall that, when setting water tariffs in accordance with the principle of recovery of costs set out in Directive 2000/60/EC, Member States may have regard to the variation in the economic and social conditions of the population and may therefore adopt social tariffs or take measures safeguarding populations at a socio-economic disadvantage. Because of the word 'may' as opposed to the more powerful 'shall', this also doesn't go far enough to ensure full access to potable water for all, especially for those who can't afford the individual charges. This Directive deals, in particular, with the aspects of access to water which are related to quality and availability. To address those aspects, as part of the reply to the European citizens' initiative and to contribute to the implementation of Principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights85 that states that "everyone has the right to access essential services of good quality, including water", Member States should be required to tackle the issue of access to water at national level whilst enjoying some discretion as to the exact type of measures to be implemented. It should be emphasised however that access in itself is not sufficient; this access should not be restricted due to affordability. This can be done through actions aimed, inter alia, at improving access to water intended for human consumption for all, for instance with freely accessible fountains in cities, and promoting its use by encouraging the free provision of water intended for human consumption in public buildings and restaurants. _________________ 83 COM(2014)177 final 84 COM(2014)177 final, p. 12. 85 Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (2017/C 428/09) of 17 November 2017 (OJ C 428, 13.12.2017, p. 10).
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The principles to be considered in the setting of water tariffs, namely recovery of costs for water services (which can also be achieved through general taxation, where a Member State decides to do so) and polluter pays, are set out in Directive 2000/60/EC. However, the financial sustainability of the provision of water services is not always ensured, sometimes leading to under-investment in the maintenance of water infrastructure. With the improvement of monitoring techniques, leakage rates – mainly due to such under- investment – have become increasingly apparent and reduction of water losses should be encouraged at Union level to improve the efficiency of water infrastructure. In line with the principle of subsidiarity, that issue should be addressed by increasing transparency and consumer information on leakage rates and energy efficiency.
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Directive concerns the quality of water intended for human consumption and the access to such water.
Amendment 255 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The objective of this Directive shall be to protect human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean, and at the same time, ensuring universal and affordable access to such water for all in the Union.