European Union
Mr. Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguised Delegates !
I have the honour to present this intervention on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia∗ and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.
?
First of all, we would like to stress that the EU is fully committed to a thorough CSD13 decisions review by the CSD16. Moreover, we wish to go further than a mere stocktaking exercise. As this is the first review process under the framework of CSD, we want to make the special segment devoted to it a successful example underlining the strong added value of the CSD process.
?
Then, we need to recall that water and sanitation are central to development. Efforts in this sector facilitate the achievement of other objectives as water is closely related to poverty alleviation, health, security and ecosystems preservation as well as to social aspects including education and gender perspectives. Moreover, water and sanitation are key crosscutting and interlinkage issues and as such should be included into sectoral policies particularly those of agriculture, energy, industry and forestry.
?
Concerning the actions that the EU has implemented as regards CSD13 water-related decisions, a number of these decisions have been already implemented and the EU has made significant progress in many related aspects. Some of CSD13 decisions are no longer relevant in the EU context and others are already fully implemented. We have devoted specific resources both externally through cooperation and development policies and internally, through the development of key policies and legislation. These include national water supply, sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management policies, as well as specific water and water-related environmental legislation such as the Water Framework Directive; the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, complemented by many other specific directives related e.g. to urban wastewater, drinking water and nitrates. On the other hand, and in particular as regards cooperation and development policies, despite the fact that the EU has taken significant steps -in particular through the EU Water Initiative and the ACP-EU Water Facility- a lot remains to be done. In 2005, the EU has collectively committed ?1.3 billions to water and sanitation with 45% committed to Africa.
?
As regards access to water supply and sanitation, the EU considers that the international community must increase efforts towards the achievement of water-related MDGs and JPOI goals within the context of integrated approaches to water resources management;
?
To achieve these goals, water should be set high in the political agenda of national Development strategies, Poverty Reduction Plans and national budgets. In addition, political commitment must be
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
strengthened, ensuring among other issues, adequate financing for the sector and effective governance.
?
Efforts should also be strengthened as regards capacity building with the support and implementation of continued activities to improve access to sanitation and drinking water, in particular for the poor;
?
Finally, the EU considers the monitoring and following up of water and sanitation related decisions as a crucial means to further mobilize and streamline resources for water, sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in order to achieve the targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the water-related Millennium Development Goals.
?
In this respect, we recommend:
o
to make additional efforts within countries and at the global level for more regular and meaningful monitoring activities ?including relevant criteria and reliable baselines- to measure progress towards the achievement of MDGs and JPOI goals in the view of adjusting implementation measures, having in mind the next important milestone of the CSD review session of 2012; and
o
to further support and strengthen UN processes, with a view to further coordinating water activities and in particular for developing UN Water monitoring, follow up and reporting ones, in coordination with other international processes, as initiated for the review.
Thank you.
Mr./Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguised Delegates !
As in the yesterday?s session on water and sanitation Slovenia speaks on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia∗ and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.
?
The EU considers that water and sanitation activities should be embedded into integrated water resources management -including groundwater- toward improved water availability and water quality, and efficient water use;
?
It is time to move from a methodological approach to operational implementation of IWRM principles by setting up and intensifying processes to complete and implement IWRM plans with common targets agreed at regional or transboundary scale, combined with indicators;
?
Climate change aspects should be integrated early into the development and implementation of IWRM plans with a particular emphasis on promoting water demand management and risk management policies for droughts and floods;
?
Concerning water governance, the EU considers that efforts should be made to ensure that in each country one principal accountable institution takes clear leadership of the sanitation portfolio and establishes one coordinating body with specific responsibility for sanitation and hygiene involving all stakeholders across all sectors, including health, education, local governments and water and that a greater policy coherence should be sought between Development and Environment approaches and mechanisms and between other sectoral policies;
?
In order to achieve the water and sanitation-related MDGs and JPOI goals within the context of integrated approaches to water resources management, the EU considers that additional and more efficient and targeted use of available financial resources should be mobilized in support of national plans, in particular for sanitation.
?
In this respect, and in the context of the International Year of Sanitation, the EU welcomes the water and sanitation related declarations and commitments made by African ministers and in particular the eThekwini -February 2008 - and Tunis -March 2008- ones and supports efforts undertaken to fulfilling their objectives.
?
In addition, adequate financial resources, in particular through climate-related support tools and financial instruments, should be devoted in developing countries.
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
?
Water-related adaptation strategies and measures to face Climate change consequences must be rapidly developed and implemented in particular through early integration of climate change aspects into the development and implementation of IWRM plans.
?
In addition to the issues addressed by CSD13, the EU believes that a number of topics should be given a particular attention in the future. These should include transboundary waters (including groundwater), virtual water and, in the context of the adaptation to climate change: balancing competing water uses and linkages between water related extreme events and health.
Thank you for your attention.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguised Delegates !
I have the honour to present this intervention on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia∗ and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.
?
First of all, we would like to stress that the EU is fully committed to a thorough CSD13 decisions review by the CSD16. Moreover, we wish to go further than a mere stocktaking exercise. As this is the first review process under the framework of CSD, we want to make the special segment devoted to it a successful example underlining the strong added value of the CSD process.
?
Then, we need to recall that water and sanitation are central to development. Efforts in this sector facilitate the achievement of other objectives as water is closely related to poverty alleviation, health, security and ecosystems preservation as well as to social aspects including education and gender perspectives. Moreover, water and sanitation are key crosscutting and interlinkage issues and as such should be included into sectoral policies particularly those of agriculture, energy, industry and forestry.
?
Concerning the actions that the EU has implemented as regards CSD13 water-related decisions, a number of these decisions have been already implemented and the EU has made significant progress in many related aspects. Some of CSD13 decisions are no longer relevant in the EU context and others are already fully implemented. We have devoted specific resources both externally through cooperation and development policies and internally, through the development of key policies and legislation. These include national water supply, sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management policies, as well as specific water and water-related environmental legislation such as the Water Framework Directive; the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, complemented by many other specific directives related e.g. to urban wastewater, drinking water and nitrates. On the other hand, and in particular as regards cooperation and development policies, despite the fact that the EU has taken significant steps -in particular through the EU Water Initiative and the ACP-EU Water Facility- a lot remains to be done. In 2005, the EU has collectively committed ?1.3 billions to water and sanitation with 45% committed to Africa.
?
As regards access to water supply and sanitation, the EU considers that the international community must increase efforts towards the achievement of water-related MDGs and JPOI goals within the context of integrated approaches to water resources management;
?
To achieve these goals, water should be set high in the political agenda of national Development strategies, Poverty Reduction Plans and national budgets. In addition, political commitment must be
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
strengthened, ensuring among other issues, adequate financing for the sector and effective governance.
?
Efforts should also be strengthened as regards capacity building with the support and implementation of continued activities to improve access to sanitation and drinking water, in particular for the poor;
?
Finally, the EU considers the monitoring and following up of water and sanitation related decisions as a crucial means to further mobilize and streamline resources for water, sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in order to achieve the targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the water-related Millennium Development Goals.
?
In this respect, we recommend:
o
to make additional efforts within countries and at the global level for more regular and meaningful monitoring activities ?including relevant criteria and reliable baselines- to measure progress towards the achievement of MDGs and JPOI goals in the view of adjusting implementation measures, having in mind the next important milestone of the CSD review session of 2012; and
o
to further support and strengthen UN processes, with a view to further coordinating water activities and in particular for developing UN Water monitoring, follow up and reporting ones, in coordination with other international processes, as initiated for the review.
Thank you.
Mr./Madam Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguised Delegates !
As in the yesterday?s session on water and sanitation Slovenia speaks on behalf of the European Union.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia∗ and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this statement.
?
The EU considers that water and sanitation activities should be embedded into integrated water resources management -including groundwater- toward improved water availability and water quality, and efficient water use;
?
It is time to move from a methodological approach to operational implementation of IWRM principles by setting up and intensifying processes to complete and implement IWRM plans with common targets agreed at regional or transboundary scale, combined with indicators;
?
Climate change aspects should be integrated early into the development and implementation of IWRM plans with a particular emphasis on promoting water demand management and risk management policies for droughts and floods;
?
Concerning water governance, the EU considers that efforts should be made to ensure that in each country one principal accountable institution takes clear leadership of the sanitation portfolio and establishes one coordinating body with specific responsibility for sanitation and hygiene involving all stakeholders across all sectors, including health, education, local governments and water and that a greater policy coherence should be sought between Development and Environment approaches and mechanisms and between other sectoral policies;
?
In order to achieve the water and sanitation-related MDGs and JPOI goals within the context of integrated approaches to water resources management, the EU considers that additional and more efficient and targeted use of available financial resources should be mobilized in support of national plans, in particular for sanitation.
?
In this respect, and in the context of the International Year of Sanitation, the EU welcomes the water and sanitation related declarations and commitments made by African ministers and in particular the eThekwini -February 2008 - and Tunis -March 2008- ones and supports efforts undertaken to fulfilling their objectives.
?
In addition, adequate financial resources, in particular through climate-related support tools and financial instruments, should be devoted in developing countries.
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
?
Water-related adaptation strategies and measures to face Climate change consequences must be rapidly developed and implemented in particular through early integration of climate change aspects into the development and implementation of IWRM plans.
?
In addition to the issues addressed by CSD13, the EU believes that a number of topics should be given a particular attention in the future. These should include transboundary waters (including groundwater), virtual water and, in the context of the adaptation to climate change: balancing competing water uses and linkages between water related extreme events and health.
Thank you for your attention.