Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-07-02-Speech-1-158-000"
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"en.20120702.20.1-158-000"2
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"Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the shadow rapporteurs and all my fellow Members for their participation in the debate, along with the Commissioner and his team, including Mr Gammeltoft, who are pursuing a very ambitious water policy, as we have now heard in the debate.
There is a recurring theme in what everyone has had to say, namely, that we need regulation at a European level – in principle, we do have that, in the shape of the Water Framework Directive – but that we also need to very strongly emphasise this regional approach. Unfortunately, as many Members have pointed out, when it comes to implementation, there are gaps and differences between the Member States. I would call on the Commission, in particular, to examine, in this context, which Member States are in default, and unfortunately, it is not always the poor Member States, but also richer ones. Mr Davies listed a couple of them. The Commission needs to grasp the nettle in this regard, as Europeans have a right to clean drinking water – and that is how it should be!
It is also key that we really implement these efficiency improvements that have just been mentioned. My credo is that we cannot just focus on consumption – although it is important to improve efficiency here – but we also need to focus on the supply. The major economic possibilities are to be found, in particular, on the supply side here, in terms of new technology. In this connection, Europe can make a contribution in that we are also very strongly represented on European and global markets.
What I found myself unable to understand – and I say this quite openly – is the criticism coming, in particular from Mr Ferreira and the left, who are now submitting their own resolution. It is spelt out loud and clear in the report, and has also been confirmed by the Commissioner, that access to drinking water, as enshrined in the UN charter, is a human right. I also worded it in that way and it was also capable of obtaining a majority. So, Mr Ferreira, why you should choose to begin an ideological debate about water at this point is completely beyond me. I would, however, also like you to answer me one thing. Do you really believe that everyone in Portugal has the right to fill a swimming pool for free? That is a key question that you have to ask yourself. In this context, the key thing is that every person should have access to the drinking water that he or she needs, but water overall needs to be managed somehow, as clearly there are costs involved. Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive is unambiguous: economic means, too, are to be used in order to promote the most efficient consumption and use of water.
All in all, I would like to thank everyone again for the debate, and I look forward to continuing to work in this area in relation to priority substances."@en1
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