Act now! Norway proposes new law on water and sewage!

Please read the enclosure and send your support to watermov[at]online.no as soon as possible within June 12!

The Norwegian Ministry of Environment has sent out a proposal for a new law on water and sewage facilities (changing the “Law on Water- and Sewage Fees”). The deadline for public comments is June 15

We hope to get internationally support for our statement for the public hearing.

The future of water concerns us all!

Norway is not a country where water struggles are fought over access to clean drinking water.

On the contrary, Norway is estimated to have enough water to supply every human being on Mother Earth with 5 litres per day!

Our struggle is to keep water as a common good under peoples control and prevent commercial interests from making fortunes while citizens and ecosystems carry the costs.

The Water Movement is rallying support to make the proposed law a real and substantial guarantee for peoples control over water. We need to support and strengthen the existing framework of direct democracy in our water supply.

We do not accept a new law which opens up for commercialisation of water by public companies. No one should regard water as a commodity and be allowed to make profits, not least the public sector which is supposed to act on behalf of the citizens.

Commercialisation of water by the public municipalities for profit making is in itself unethical, and will trigger international trade agreements, such as the “Services Directive” in the EU, to allow competition from private multinationals in our water supply.

Please read our proposed amendment to the draft law and sign our petition on behalf of your organisation!

We need as much support as we can muster if we are to be heard in the final hearings!

Trude Malthe Thomassen, Water Movement
watermov[at]online.no
www.vannbevegelsen.no