EU MEP Nikos Farandouris urges binding right to safe drinking water
Greek MEP Nikos Farandouris has submitted a written question to the European Commission demanding that access to safe drinking water be enshrined as a binding human right in EU law. He argues that water must remain a public good and not become a market commodity.
Farandouris cites the UN General Assembly’s 2010 recognition of the right to water, the 2015 Right2Water European Citizens’ Initiative and Parliament resolution, the revised Drinking‑Water Directive 2020/2184, and the 2025 European Water‑Resilience Strategy, all of which stress the importance of affordable, clean water, especially for vulnerable groups. He asks the Commission to consider legislative steps, including possible amendments to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights or strengthening existing directives, and urges Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall to commit to keeping water a public asset.
Entities: EU Charter of Fundamental Rights · European Commission · European Parliament · Jessika Roswall · Nikolás Farandouris
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The revised EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 improved access to safe water, especially for vulnerable groups. (EU legislation)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The European Water‑Resilience Strategy presented in 2025 expressly recognizes access to clean, affordable water as a human right. (EU strategy)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He warned that water should not become a market commodity. (Farandouris' statement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He addressed his question to Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, urging a commitment that water remains a public good. (Farandouris' address)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Nikolas Farandouris submitted a written question to the European Commission requesting a binding EU law guaranteeing access to safe drinking water as a human right. (EU institutions)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The European Citizens' Initiative 'Right2Water' and a 2015 European Parliament resolution called on the Commission to pursue legislative codification of the water right. (European Parliament / Right2Water initiative)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The UN General Assembly recognized the right to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right in 2010. (UN General Assembly)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Farandouris asks the Commission to consider legislative measures, possibly amending the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights or strengthening existing directives, to fully entrench the water right. (Farandouris' proposal)