European voices defending water as a human right and a common good

At Enginyeria Sense Fronteres, we are sharing a series of videos featuring voices from the European Water Movement who offer key perspectives on the current challenges in defending water as a human right and a common good. Activists, representatives of social movements, environmental organisations and trade unions explain, from their territories and areas of work, how the advance of privatisation, deregulation and the commodification of water threatens fundamental rights and the very sustainability of life.

These interviews were recorded during the annual meeting of the European Water Movement, which we organised in Girona in December 2025. Over three days, collectives from across Europe — and also from outside the European Union — gathered to share analyses, experiences and strategies in an increasingly adverse context marked by growing pressure on water resources and the weakening of public environmental protection policies.

The meeting concluded with the Girona 2025 Final Declaration, a collective statement warning about deregulation processes and, in particular, the revision of the Water Framework Directive promoted by European institutions. This process could jeopardise the protection of water bodies and open the door to economic interests that threaten fundamental rights.

In this context, we wanted to give voice to some of the people who are part of the European Water Movement and who sustain concrete struggles in defence of water from very diverse realities. Through these interviews we gather perspectives ranging from environmental activism and the defence of territories to trade union organising and political advocacy at the European level, all sharing a common conviction: water cannot be treated as a commodity.

The conversations highlight that local conflicts are part of the same global dynamic. In response, European networking becomes a key tool to recognise shared struggles, strengthen each other and build collective responses to threats that cross borders and institutional frameworks.

The videos shared below reflect on the victories achieved by the water movement, such as the historic European Citizens’ Initiative for the Right to Water, but also on current challenges: the growing pressure of corporate interests, the rollback of environmental policies, the need to sustain the movement over time and to continue expanding alliances beyond the boundaries of the European Union.

At Enginyeria Sense Fronteres, we believe these voices are essential to understand the moment we are living through and to continue building — through cooperation, solidarity and collective action — a future in which water is guaranteed as a human right, a common good and a shared responsibility.

Athénaïs Georges – European Environmental Bureau

In this interview we speak with Athénaïs Georges, member of the secretariat of the European Water Movement, about the critical moment currently facing water policy in Europe. From Brussels, she warns about a worrying shift towards deregulation, in which environmental protection and human rights are increasingly subordinated to discourses of competitiveness, strategic sovereignty and corporate interests.

Athénaïs points out that water has become an increasingly attractive resource for the private sector, particularly in a context of growing scarcity, which puts both the human right to water and public management at risk. Despite historic victories such as the Right2Water European Citizens’ Initiative, she reminds us that the human right to water is still not formally recognised in the European Union, more than a decade after its recognition by the United Nations.

In this scenario, Athénaïs stresses that European networking is essential to share experiences, build a collective narrative and coordinate resistance against common threats that transcend borders. From local struggles to political advocacy at the European level, the European Water Movement becomes a crucial space to defend water as a right, a common good and a collective responsibility.

“We are moving from a rights-based and life-centred approach to a corporate vision of water as a business.”

Júlia Gené – Naturalistes de Girona / Aigua és Vida

In this interview we speak with Júlia Gené, from Naturalistes de Girona and Aigua és Vida, about the importance of defending territories as a key element in protecting water. Through their work with local collectives, they analyse the environmental impacts of new projects and build alliances to confront infrastructures that threaten aquifers and ecosystems.

Júlia highlights the role of citizen water observatories as a tool to move towards public and participatory water management. She also stresses that local struggles, although rooted in very specific contexts, are part of the same global challenge in the face of the environmental and water crisis.

“Defending water means defending the territory and strengthening local alliances.”

Iva Marković – Pravo na vodu / Polekol

In this interview we speak with Iva Marković, from the initiative Pravo na vodu – Polekol, about the defence of the human right to water in Serbia and the importance of understanding water as a struggle without borders. Iva highlights the value of the European Water Movement as a space for articulation between diverse realities, both inside and outside the European Union, that share common threats and forms of resistance.

The interview addresses the current challenges facing the movement: sustaining it over time, strengthening it collectively and ensuring that the human right to water remains a central banner in the face of advancing privatisation and corporate interests.

“Water knows no borders, and neither does the struggle for the human right to water.”

Filippo Bellini – Italian Water Forum

In this interview we speak with Filippo Bellini, from the Italian Water Forum, about the importance of European coordination in defending water as a common good rather than a commodity. Drawing on the experience of the Italian movement and the 2011 referendum, Filippo highlights the value of exchanges between territories to share lessons learned and address common challenges.

The interview defends a central idea: thinking of Europe as a community of peoples, rather than as a market, is key to advancing towards a public, democratic and participatory governance of water.

“We defend a Europe of peoples, not a Europe of markets and commodities.”

Dimitrios Charitatos – EYATH

In this interview we speak with Dimitrios Charitatos, trade union representative of the public water company of Thessaloniki (EYATH), about the importance of defending water from within public services. From the perspective of trade union organising, he highlights a sustained struggle to guarantee universal access to water and prevent its commodification.

The interview shows how European coordination between workers and social movements is essential to recognise shared threats and strengthen the defence of water as a human right, a common good and an essential public service.

“Guaranteeing access to water is not compatible with turning it into a commodity.”