"Collides with human rights": Kassel professor warns against liberalization plans on Water Day

This jeopardizes the basic provision of water and sanitation services to the population and conflicts with fundamental and human rights. Ultimately, human dignity, which is protected by the German constitution, is affected," says Laskowski, a business lawyer whose research focuses on the right to water. The EU Commission wants a directive to regulate in the future how and under what conditions municipalities must put their water supply out to public tender. Critics fear that large corporations will then force their way into the market and jeopardize the basic supply of affordable water for everyone. Following protests, EU Commissioner Michel Barnier recently held out the prospect of toning down his plans. Nevertheless, the Kassel professor fears the market entry of multinational companies. "However, these are not oriented to the common good, but to profit. Experience shows that prices go up and infrastructure deteriorates," says Laskowski, who points to corresponding experiences in South America, Africa and Asia, as well as Portugal and Great Britain. Laskowski calls for water supply to be completely removed from the scope of the controversial EU directive.

The European Parliament still has to approve the directive. A European citizens' initiative wants to stop the liberalization project. More than one million EU citizens have already signed the initiative. The initiators' group hopes to mobilize further support on International Water Day on March 22.

Image at goo.gl/KEcVT
Credit: "Image: Laskowski"

Info:
Prof. Dr. Silke Ruth Laskowski
University of Kassel
FB 7 - Economics
Institute for Economic Law
Department of Public Law, International Law and European Law
Tel.: 0561/804-3222
E-Mail: s-laskowski@uni-kassel.de

& nbsp;