European Union
Mr. 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.
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
Please check against delivery
? In addition, adequate financial resources, in particular through climate-related support tools and
financial instruments, should be devoted in developing countries.
? 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 !
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.
∗ Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
Please check against delivery
? In addition, adequate financial resources, in particular through climate-related support tools and
financial instruments, should be devoted in developing countries.
? 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.