Reactie Vewin en UvW op Commissievoorstel 'Stappenplan voor efficiënt hulpbronnengebruik in Europa’ (COM 2011/571)
The Association of Dutch Regional Water Authorities (UvW) and the Association of Dutch Water Companies (Vewin) congratulate the European Commission on their resource efficiency initiative to transform our economy towards a green economy, while taking a leading position world wide. We therefore are very much supportive towards this initiative.
In the opinion of UvW and Vewin the key resource to sustain a healthy and prosperate society is sufficient and clean fresh water. No water no life. We therefore support the European Commission’s efforts to set clear goals for the good status of water thorough Europe by 2020. We would like to draw the attention to the following points focussing on paragraph 4.4 on ‘water’ in relation to 3.2 and 4.3:
1. Regarding the subject of water efficiency targets UvW and Vewin are of the opinion that:
- water quality is the first issue which needs to be tackled;
- many best practices to increase water efficiency in agriculture, industry and water sector are available;
- the roadmap should have a long term view to target to change infrastructure systems and look beyond 2020.
2. The European Commission foresees a full implementation of the goals of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) by 2020. The status quo clearly shows that the requirements of the WFD will not be met by 2020 as assumed in the roadmap. Improved implementation by the Member States will be essential to meet the basic requirements for effective water management.
> Strict monitoring of the WFD implementation by the Member States by the European Commision is absolutely necessary.
3. Currently the European Commission assesses the first river basin management plans (RBMPs) as part of the Blue Print to safeguard Europe’s waters – foreseen in November 2012. An urgent gap is the protection of areas for drinking water production. Most evaluated RBMPs lack the measures which are necessary to protect those areas sustainably.
> UvW and Vewin strongly support additional action in this field and urge the European Commission to do so. Especially for Vewin the lack of protection of drinking water sources is an urgent issue which requires prompt action.
4. UvW and Vewin are very much in favour of an European Innovation Partnership on Water. The water sector has proven to be one of the corner stones of a healthy society and can play a key role in achieving the green economy (an economy that results in improved human well being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities’ (UNEP). In the “Conference Resourceful Water” (European Parliament, Brussels, 6th of September 2011) the European water sector has exchanged multiple state of the art examples of initiatives and can fundamentally contribute to this new society. Several of these initiatives are based on a paradigm shift on (waste) water as a valuable source of renewable energy (thermal energy and biogas) and materials like phosphates and nitrogen, including incentives for fair prices.
> The water sector is working on an inventory to identify the Europe wide best practices and issues. Vewin and the UvW contribute to this survey and are looking forward to further work with the European Commission, Parliament and Council to realize full implementation.
Datum: november 2011
Voor informatie: Nicole Zantkuijl; 070-4144770; zantkuijl@vewin.nl