THE RIGHT TO WATER WITHIN THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Ekrem HALIMI
Abstract
Water-related topics are treated very seriously within the European Union (EU) law. This is confirmed by the adoption of several directives that address several issues in this area, such as Groundwater Directive, the Surface Water Directive, and the Drinking water quality directive. This shows that within the EU, the relationship between water and other common values such as public health is treated very seriously.
Taking into account the above-mentioned directives, it can be concluded that the EU has been more committed to protecting human health, water quality and the responsibility of the Member States to achieve these goals. However, the question arises whether the right to water at Union level is guaranteed as a human right?
To answer this question in a chronological manner, the paper examines all documents, beginning with primary and secondary sources of EU law, political statements, and all other documents related to the right to water, up to the final step, the European Water Resilience Strategy (2025).
Pages: 120 - 130