Press Releases

Irrigation and pesticide use : the French government at the service of the agro-industrial system

Alongside the unprecedented offensive against public services and labour law, the government is radically changing water and agricultural policies, at the service of the agro-industrial system and under the false pretext of the fight against climate change.

In 2017, the Ministers Nicolas Hulot and Stéphane Travers relaunched the territorial projects concerning agricultural irrigation at the request of the FNSEA (Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles) and Irrigants de France while creating an expertise cell on water resource management in the agricultural field. This cell has the undeclared objective of breaking down regulatory barriers, reducing or even eliminating environmental impact studies and associations' appeals against these projects; as is happening with wind power and methanisation projects. In addition, the government requires water agencies to participate in the financing of basins, hill reservoirs and water transfers, whereas this same government has decided to drain their budgets (relying almost solely on domestic user fees) and ask them to reduce their staff.

Open Letter: European Parliament, make the ECI work!

On 20 June, the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) of the European Parliament will cast a vote of crucial importance for the future of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI).^[*] With this open letter, civil society organisations [including the European Water Movement] and former ECI organisers call upon the European Parliament to take its responsibility for this participatory instrument by obliging itself to debate and vote on every single successful ECI in plenary before the Commission adopts its formal response.

Environmental and social organisations and councillors from Baix Llobregat agree to create the Taula del Llobregat

They share the desire to build a broad citizen movement that covers the entire river basin where the need for a living Llobregat river meets the social movement for water as a commons.

Terrassa, April 2018.

In a meeting held in Terrassa this April, various actors related to the Llobregat river met, convened by the Taula de l'Aigua de Terrassa and by ProuSal! with the intention of promoting a Taula de conca (river basin table), informing how water flows from the source to the mouth.

This first meeting was attended by councillors from Cornellà, Abrera, Olesa and Rubí, together with the organisations Aigua es Vida, Martorell Viu, the Xarxa per una Nova Cultura de l'Aigua (XNCA), Ecologistes en Acció de Catalunya (EEAC), the Grup de Defensa del Ter (GDT), the Moviment Ecologista Sant Feliu (MES), the group Alternativa d'Unitat Popular (AUP) of Rubí and the Societat Esportiva de Pescadors d'Abrera. Also present for the University were the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability (CUS) of the UPC, representatives of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), as well as two technicians from the Terrassa City Council.

Agbar takes Aliança contra la Pobresa Energètica to court

The water company denounces three activists for an action performed last February, thus trying to slow down the fight for the right to basic supplies.

Barcelona, May 7th 2018

From the APE (Aliança contra la Pobresa Energètica) we have worked since we were born to stop the supply cuts in Catalonia and have confronted the large multinationals of water, electricity and gas to demand the protection of such essential rights as the access to water and energy. We have achieved jointly with the PAH (Plataforma d'Afectats per la Hipoteca) and the ODESC (Observatori de Drets Econòmics Socials i Culturals), as well as with the support of many other entities and groups, to promote a law that has stopped more than 40,000 supply cuts in Catalonia and we have located the supply companies at the center of the problem, pointing to these companies with multimillionaire benefits, as responsible for a scourge that affects more than 10% of the population in Catalonia.

As of today, Aigües de Barcelona (Agbar-Suez Group) has decided to bring to trial three APE activists for a complaint action that took place at its commercial offices in Barcelona on February 27th. With this action, Agbar demonstrates to go against those who defend the rights of citizens and choose the path of repression against organized civil society.

Jutta Schütz

Dear friends of Jutta,

We are devastated to have to let you know that our dear friend Jutta Schütz has passed away. All of you will remember Jutta who was politically active for Aquattac and the European Water Movement for many years. All of you will also know that Jutta suffered under a debilitating disease. And even though her husband, Rainer Schütz, noted that her political work helped her stay strong over the years, Jutta nevertheless could not find the strength to continue and has therefore left us all too soon.

We deeply mourn the loss of a friend and political companion. Rest in peace, Jutta.

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