L’iniziativa legislativa dei cittadini dell’unione europea alla sua prima prova: l’acqua come diritto umano universale, bene comune e di pubblica utilità

Abstract

Right2Water: “Water and sanitation are a human right! Water is a public good, not a commodity!” is the first European citizens’ initiative that has ever been examinated by the European Commission in accordance with Regulation (EU) 211/2011. It has referred to the Commission an ambitious invitation to propose to Council and European Parliament legislation implementing the universal human right to water and sanitation and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all, moving from the new “dimension”, transcendent to mere “commodity”, gradually recognized to water in the international context, namely that of “human right”. This paper analyzes the contents of the initiative, as well as of the recent “legal and political conclusions” set out by the European Commission on 19 March 2014 ruling on a matter dealing with several issues, related to common goods, fundamental rights, management of services of general interest and the development of the “European social model”. Moreover, the Commission’s response is an opportunity to assess the level of influence of European citizens’ proposals on European decisionmaking process.