Aiming to prevent the commercialization of potable drinking water to the citizens, Slovenia amended the state's constitution which proclaims that all citizens have equal rights for the access and utilization of the rich clean resources of the country.
An item in the Slovenia's constitution was revised through a vote from 64 lawmakers which declares that all citizens shall have the privilege to access drinkable clean water. The European Union country is rich with water resources as over half of the state's mountainous territory is enclosed by forest.
In the parliament composed of 90 seats, the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which has been known to be the center-right opposition, refrained from participating in the vote stating that said amendment was unnecessary for it only meant to increase the support from the public.
The article that has been amended reads: "Water resources represent a public good that is managed by the state. Water resources are primary and durably used to supply citizens with potable water and households with water and, in this sense, are not a market commodity."
Miro Cerar, the center-left prime minister insisted on the lawmakers to support the said amendment as Slovenia, which shelters over two million citizens, must look after the safety and preservation of the water with the uppermost level as possible.
Cerar expressed that Slovenia's water resources are of very high quality. More so, there could be possibilities in the future that the said resources will become a prospect of foreign states and other international companies for its high value. And, as the demand for potable water will possibly increase so as its value as a commodity, the pressure in its preservation and protection also heightens and the government must continue to maintain it.
In the figures released by Rampedre, while 15 countries from around the world has already passed the same bill, in the countries among the European Union, Slovenian parliament is the first to incorporate the right of access to water in the state's constitution.
In 2014, the European Union has supported the exclusion of the supply of water resources as well as its management in the regulations that are exercised in the European's inner market after the very first victorious Initiative of the European Citizens which achieved more than a million support through signatures.
