Seville, Spain – With mounting pressure on global water and sanitation systems, public utilities across Europe are reaffirming their commitment to international solidarity through peer-to-peer cooperation. In June, some 50 professionals representing utilities, cooperation agencies and institutions from across the continent gathered in Seville and online to chart the next steps in strengthening Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) – solidarity-based technical partnerships between public service providers.
Organized by UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), in collaboration with the Spanish Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID/FCAS), Aqua Publica Europea and hosted by Sevillle’s water and sanitation operator EMASESA, the back-to-back meetings provided a forum to assess progress, confront persistent barriers, and exchange solutions to scale WOPs across Europe and beyond.
Building the Foundations for Scale
The 4th European Water Operators’ Partnerships Enablers’ Dialogue, held on 17 June, brought together a diverse group of public utilities, municipalities, development institutions and national agencies to explore what drives – and what hinders – utility engagement in WOPs.
Among the day’s outcomes was the launch of a new report mapping legal and financial mechanisms that enable WOPs. Case studies from various European countries highlighted practical approaches to embedding peer cooperation in national development frameworks. A session dedicated to the EU–WOP Phase 2 Call for Proposals also outlined how European operators can access funding and technical support to expand their global impact.
Yet the conversation moved well beyond frameworks. A standout session on the Art of Partnering focused on what makes partnerships work at a human level – empathy, mutual respect and trust.
“WOPs are not just about technical expertise – they are about mutual respect, solidarity and a shared commitment to public service,” said Milo Fiasconaro, Executive Director of Aqua Publica Europea, “When we work together, the overall progress is faster.”
To keep that momentum going, participants agreed on a set of strategic actions: rotating future Enablers’ Dialogues to build local ownership; facilitating dialogue between national policymakers; leveraging utility associations for regional advocacy; and launching a mentor-to-mentor support scheme for utilities new to WOPs.
“Europe’s public operators are uniquely positioned to help achieve the SDGs by sharing what they know best – how to deliver public water and sanitation services,” said Julie Perkins, Programme Management Officer at GWOPA. “The message from Seville is clear: there is a strong will to do more, and to do it together.”
Mobilizing Spain’s Public Operators for Global Impact
The following day, on 18 June, the focus turned national. The Spanish WOP Dialogue convened public utilities, regional governments, local cooperation funds, NGOs and cooperation networks to explore how Spain’s rich experience in decentralised cooperation can be scaled into a more coordinated WOP framework.
Participants discussed how to professionalize and sustain WOPs nationwide, and were introduced to new opportunities to promote WOPs, including the EU–WOP Programme and PECASH, Spain’s new platform for international cooperation in water and sanitation.
“The scale and diversity of peer support between Spanish operators is an indication of how much Spanish operators embrace these solidarity partnerships,” said Yasmina Ferrer Medina, Head of Water and Sanitation Cooperation Division, Office of the Water and Sanitation Cooperation Fund at AECID. “But it is necessary to build on that legacy and mobilize more utilities across the country.”
The meeting laid important groundwork for strengthening Spain’s contribution to international water technical cooperation – not only as individual actors, but through a unified national platform that brings scale and consistency.
A Shared Commitment to SDG 6
Across both dialogues, a common vision emerged: WOPs are a proven, cost-effective model for improving utility performance and delivering on Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation for all.
Participants repeatedly underscored the need for:
• A stronger enabling environment – legal, financial and institutional
• Greater political and technical support for long-term sustainability
• Flexible, locally responsive approaches
• Recognition of WOPs’ broader value in attracting talent and building institutional resilience
“Solidarity is not an option – it is the principle that defines us as public operators. In the face of mounting global challenges, our commitment to peer cooperation is how we safeguard the human right to water and sanitation, strengthen our institutions, and ensure no community is left behind,” said Darío Mauriño Morales, Head of Cooperation, Funds and Innovation at EMASESA. “To make this commitment truly sustainable, we must ensure that operators engaging in technical cooperation can focus on contributing their know-how, supported by an appropriate funding framework that enables these activities without raising tariffs for citizens.”
As attention now turns toward the 6th Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Congress, taking place from 27 to 30 October 2025 in Bonn, the Seville dialogues signal a renewed European commitment to growing the WOP movement – one grounded in public service, solidarity and shared responsibility.