Frankfurt on the Main, 3rd July 2012 - Cyprus took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, and has made responsible use of water a priority on the political agenda of the European Union.
The aim of the new water strategy of the European Commission - the "Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources" - is to ensure the provision of quality water, in sufficient quantity, for sustainable and equitable use.
Steering the attention of the politicians and society to "water" as a valuable commodity is right and important. Clean drinking water and hygienic waste water disposal is taken for granted by many. The importance of providing safe, high quality water and of processing waste water safely and with utmost efficiency is often underestimated. "Blueprint Water" is a good start, but we cannot simply focus on unifying parameters for water saving across Europe. We must take into consideration the different circumstances and structures that exist across the EU's regions. In Northern Europe, sufficient drinking water is available, but Southern Europe struggles with water shortages during the hot summer months.
The EU Commission should therefore seek, as part of its water policy, to adopt regulations that are suited to each region's needs. Both the Environment Committee of the European Parliament and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) have both spoken out against a uniform pan-European water saving policy. The German Valve Manufacturers' Association (VDMA) and the German Sanitary Industry Forum (IFS) support this stance and have made responsible use of water resources a key issue with the international information and awareness campaign "Blue Responsibility".
The German manufacturers of water technology and sanitary products are aware of their responsibility and offer a broad range of solutions that will serve this aim and the need to take a sustainable approach. Thorough, responsible, and environment-oriented water supply and sewage treatment rely on technologies that take into consideration differing climatic, geographic, social and economic circumstances.
Links:
www.vdma.org/armaturen
www.blue-responsibility.com
Do you have any questions? Christine Lindenau, VDMA Armaturen,
Tel. +49 69 6603-1549, will be happy to reply.