news release
    20th December 2004

Surfragette campaigners from 'clean water advocates' Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) will be in Brussels on Monday the 20th December to confront Environment Ministers over a case of discrimination.

Dressed in period costume and carrying trademark surfboards, 'ladies' from SAS will use chains and 'Right to Clean Water' placards to challenge Environment Ministers over unsatisfactory reforms to the EU Bathing Water Directive. The action takes its lead from the suffragette movement, which successfully brought women the vote.

PHOTOCALL: 10:00am on Monday 20th December outside the Council of the European Union, Justius Lipsius building, Rue de la loi 175, 1048 Brussels. A delegation of Surfragettes in 1900's style dresses, hats, chains and placards, but carrying surfboards will greet Environment Ministers with 'Give us the Right to Clean Water' shouts as they arrive for an Environment Ministers meeting.

As it stands Ministers are planning to ignore the use of Europe's 'bathing waters' by millions of recreational water users when they form a 'common position' on the 29 year old legislation, expected shortly. At the moment the EU Bathing Water Directive sets standards for water quality and designates beaches, lakes and rivers that are suitable for traditional bathing across Europe . What it fails to do is protect those groups who use water more than anyone else such as surfers, windsurfers, divers and dinghy sailors. By not broadening the scope of the bathing water directive to incorporate the needs of different types of 'bathers' at well used spots, Ministers will have failed to protect the principles users of Europe 's waters. In short they will have condemned recreational water users to continue to run a health gauntlet by using water that can often be heavily polluted, particularly from sewage.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says: "By discounting 'recreational water users' like surfers, windsurfers, divers and dinghy sailors from proposed new bathing water legislation, Environment Ministers will be discriminating against those most at risk. SAS ask Ministers to 'Give Surfragettes the Vote' and support the European Parliament's view that the Directive should incorporate 'recreational water users' in its definition of bathing as well as improving water quality standards to better protect health".

For more information on the campaign please contact Richard Hardy or Andy Cummins on Tel: 00 44 (0)1872 553001 or Mob: 00 44 (0)7711 767548.

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