The European Water Association
(EWA) is an independent non-governmental and non-profit
making organization dealing with the management and improvement of the water
environment. It is one of the major professional associations
in Europe that covers the whole water sector, wastewater as well
as drinking water and water related waste. With member associations
from nearly all Central and Eastern European Countries, it not only
includes the current European Union member states, Norway, and Switzerland,
but also most of the future EU members from Central and Eastern
Europe.
Besides the information of its members on EU legislation
and standardization, the aim of the association is to provide
a forum and network for the discussion of key technical
and policy issues. This is done by international conferences,
workshops and meetings, special working groups for experts and publications.
Through this exchange of knowledge the association intends to contribute
to a sustainable water management: a safe water supply and the protection
of water and soil.
The EWA has established close contacts to the European
Commission (DG Environment), the European Committee for Standardization
(CEN), the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European
Parliament.
The EWA consists today of more than 25 European national
associations representing professionals and technicians for wastewater
and water utilities as well as consultants, and several
enterprises as corporate members. The association thus represents
about 55.000 professional individuals working in their national associations
in a broad field of water management.
The benefits of National Membership within the EWA comprise
Information, Networking, and Technical Work.
Information is provided to the National Member Associations
through conferences and workshops, organized by the EWA alone
or together with a National Member Association. These conferences
are organized on a variety of water related topics. Information
about new and revised European legislation is sent to the members
whenever there are important developments. The same applies to information
about European Standardization in the sectors drinking water, wastewater
and sewage sludge. Through a weekly e-mail service, the European
Water Management News, the members receive news from the European
and international water sector. In addition comes EWA’s online
journal, the European Water Management Online, accessible through the EWA homepage.
Networking is made possible through the EWA on a European
wide basis. Currently the EWA comprises about 25 National Member
Associations, several companies as commercial members, and many experts
in the task groups. Representatives of the National Member
Associations meet once per year on the meeting of the EWA Council
to discuss the activities of the EWA, but also to have
an exchange between the national associations.
Technical Work within the EWA is realized through Task
Groups. Currently there are task groups that deal with the Water Framework
Directive, Sewage Sludge, parameters for wastewater treatment plants, Groundwater,
and a task group about Central and Eastern European Countries.
Ukrainian Water Association has been a National Member in the European Water
Association since 2003. In order to promote Ukrainian Water Association
Vice-President of the Ukrainian Water Association Mr. Malyarenko gave a presentation
about association, its activities and goals during annual Council Meeting of
the EWA, which took place in Oslo, Norway, 11 June 2004.
