International co-operations and initiatives 

Dolphin Club 
It is very important to draw attention to water in Brussels, the place where European laws and rules are made that hugely affect the way we will be dealing with water quantity and quality over the next decades. For example, think about the impact of the Water Framework Directive in all European Member States in the coming years. Water deserves a permanent place high on Brussels’ agenda and the Dolphin Club facilitates this development. 

The Dolphin Club aims to establish a robust platform working at an European level to find practicable solutions to (drinking) water problems. It is not meant to just study and analyze problems. The platform will facilitate discussions on water issues between Members and Former Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission, the European Council, industry and other stakeholders related to water. They meet at the Dolphin Club, where solutions will be presented, which can be quickly realized within the framework of the political and financial possibilities.  

The initiative to create the Dolphin Club has been taken by the representatives of the Dutch Water companies and Dutch Water boards in Brussels and the European Water Partnership. 

 Download here the brochure 'Dolphin Club is putting water on the European map'

EUREAU: European joint initiative
Vewin, the Association of Dutch Water Companies and other national associate organisations have united together in the European Union of National Associations of Water Suppliers and Waste Water Services or EUREAU. This organisation promotes the interests of the European water sector to European institutions and plays the role of professional discussion partner with the European Commission and other EU bodies. Within EUREAU, Vewin takes part in the Board of Management and different committees.
www.eureau.org

International Water Association (IWA)
Vewin and other water supply organisations are members of the International Water Association, IWA, an international network of water professionals involved in all facets of the water cycle. In practically all countries this global water organisation involves people, companies and organisations professionally involved in drinking-water supplies and water management. In the Netherlands Vewin, together with KVWN, the Royal Association of Drinking Water Supply in the Netherlands; Kiwa, the Water Supply Products Testing and Research Institute; VROM the national Ministry of Housing, Regional Development and the Environment and NVA , form a national IWA committee in which the Dutch contribution to board and committees is bundled as well as participation in conferences. The committee’s secretariat is likewise with Vewin.
www.iwahq.org

CEEP
Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest
CEEP is the European association representing Enterprises and employers’ organisations with public participation and Enterprises carrying out activities of general economic interest, whatever their legal ownership or status. CEEP is one of the three Social Partners recognised by the EU Commission, i.e. it represents the public employers in the European Social Dialogue.
Vewin is member of the Environment Committee and the working group Water.
www.ceep.org 

EWA
European Water Association
EWA is an independent non-governmental and non-profit making organisation dealing with the management and improvement of the water environment. It was founded on 22 June 1981 as the European Water Pollution Control Association. The scope of the Association was enlarged in 1999 with the change of name to the European Water Association. It is one of the major professional associations in Europe that covers the whole water sector, wastewater as well as drinking water and water related waste. The aim of EWA is to provide a forum for the discussion of key technical and policy issues affecting the growing European region. Vewin is member of the EWA.
www.ewaonline.de 

EWP
European Water Partnership
The European Water Partnership is an action-oriented open forum for all stakeholders including governmental agencies (local, national and European), knowledge institutes, private companies, non-governmental organisations, the public and private financial sector, end-users and civil society groups to exchange views, to find solutions for the water challenges in wider Europe and to stimulate partnerships. Vewin is member of the EWP.
www.ewp.eu

RIWA
The RIWA is the Association of River Waterworks, established in 1951 is an international association with members in the Netherlands and Belgium. Together with similar organisations the RIWA forms part of the IAWR, an international organisation of waterworks in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The RIWA aims at closer co-operation within its own river collection areas and co-operation with organisations which strive at similar goals.
www.riwa.org

RIWA Maas
The RIWA Maas is an international joint initiative of waterworks which use water from the River Maas as source for preparing drinking water. RIWA stands for River Water companies. the word Maas signifying waterworks using the Maas river as basic source for drinking water. RIWA Maas was set up in 2001, the year in which the European Union set the priority of promotion of the interest of river basins. The initiative stems from the RIWA, an association promoting the interests of the Maas, Rijn and Schelde water supply companies for the last 50 years.
www.riwa-maas.org

North European Benchmarking Co-operation
The North European Benchmarking Co-operation (NEBC) is an initiative of the national water associations and several water utilities of Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Objective of the co-operation is to facilitate water utilities in the continuous process of improving efficiency and transparency.
www.waterbenchmark.org