This is what is the article:

 It is well known now that EYDAP and EYATH assets have been and are to be transferred to the Superfund:  accordingly the water of the two major urban centers of the country is in danger of becoming prey in the clutches of “water barons”. Obviously, by controlling water services a greater degree of dependency, impoverishment and actual enslavement of people can be achieved.

But what is exactly happening with the waters in Greece outside the two major urban centres?

Water services in the provinces  are run by municipal enterprises, known by the general acronym DEYA. These enterprises are of contributory, self-funded character and are supervised by the corresponding municipalities of their regions of operations. DEYA enterprises were established in 1980, in order to take responsibility of water supply and sewage in remote regions off the central government; their role in local communities has been proved particularly important. They operated as pillars of the development of the aforementioned regions, by the employment (at an astonishing – 95% – absorption rate) of large funds from European investment programs. They also contributed significantly to the environmental protection, by the installation and operation of 250 wastewater treatment facilities. They are responsible for water supply and sewage of distant, sparsely populated, poor areas, ignoring the cost-benefit balance. They are, also, structures that defend public health by ensuring water supplies of excellent characteristics. Overall, they are local enterprises with a humanitarian attitude, having institutionalized social tariffs for vulnerable groups, thus ensuring for them the right to life. As the type of water management (tariffs – quality – social policy) which the mayors adopt can be a crucial factor for their re-election, there exists always a social control which can enforce democracy to the management.  Finally, they are small or medium sized businesses (132 in total, employing 4500 workers), which provide water and sewage to the most beautiful locations of Greece, by protecting their natural wealth, as well as the largest water reserves in the country.

In the post-memoranda Greece of the last six years, the DEYA enterprises have been devalued, under the pretext of limiting fiscal deficit. Nowadays they are becoming under staffed, sold by the day, piece-by-piece at the same time outsourcing important services to private contractors (as for example water treatment facilities, breakdown recovery services, water consumption measurements services, accounting). Due to this costs rise while the quality of services decays.

What is more important (and dangerous) is that due to recent policies an enterprise can be declared unsustainable if it presents negative balance sheets in three continuous years: in such a case a simple majority of the municipal council suffices for the transfer of the enterprise even without compensation. The question reasonably arises how long will a DEYA be sustainable, when operating exclusively with contractors? Should DEYA stop the water and sewage services to distant, sparsely populated villages, as such services are definitely not profitable? Will the privatization of EYDAP work as a Trojan horse for further privatization of the DEYA enterprises? Of course DEYAs are not financially dependent on the State/Central Government therefore they do not, in any way whatsoever, contribute to the public debt; they are financed by citizens and therefore they belong to them; however they are equally restricted in (actually barred from) recruiting any new personnel, which means that over time their already limited resources will reach zero.

What is not known in urban centers is that, on the pretext of water resources protection, all traditional and modern wells in the province, even handheld pumps of house yards (under the threat of 2000 euro fine) have to be filed with the central authorities. Rainwater storage tanks kept by farmers have been banned. Farmers are mandated to install water meters in line shafts’ sections of their fields.

The imposition of the environmental fee which will apply from 2017 and on (on the pretext of “protection of water resources”),will apply to urban-, rural-, and any other water use that can be priced, therefore be bought and sold, or disposed for a price.

As a conclusion I think we should all realize the dangers looming over the waters of the whole country (urban, rural, water resources) and form a common front of resistance to that. United and determined to oppose global capitals, for which human life has no value.

Because, fighting for water is a struggle for life and democracy.

Stavroula Symeonidou

Board Member of the Pan-hellenic Federation of DEYA Workers

President of the Union of Workers at DEYA of the City of Drama

As per a draft of the Bill the Egyptian Water Regulatory Authority (EWRA) will be responsible for (a) ensuring competitiveness and (b) setting prices, while the government will have the final say on the tariff the consumers will pay: if such tariff is lower than the price set by EWRA the Government will cover the difference. Some two years ago the Egyptian Government reduced water subsidies; one fears that such subsidies will be further reduced or even dropped altogether, a victim of the financial consolidation process Egypt is currently undergoing.

One of course wonders how does this procedure ensure or encourage competition: apart from the fact that Water Regulatory Authorities cannot guarantee that consumers will receive the best services possible, the example of England shows that they are also prone to easily submit to most of the private sector’s demands; furthermore though the Egyptian State (by undertaking to subsidize the difference) clearly recognizes that water services and prices cannot be left to be determined by the market it allows is the market to have a say in such. Is this simply a contradiction or is it actually hypocrisy?

The dangers of privatizing directly or indirectly water and sanitation services have already many times been made public; no government, no public authority can claim it does not know the consequences of allowing private business a hand or a say in the sector. The main problem however waits in the day after when “mistakes” are finally officially recognized as such and the people are called upon to pay in order to get their water services back.

SGW will follow the issue of water services privatization in Egypt and come back when more is available

The stubborn and aggressive imposition of privatisation by Troika goes against the will of Greek citizens and represents a direct attack on democracy

Article by Satiko Kishimoto (TNI) and Olivier Hoedeman (CEO)

The requirement to sell off €50 billion in public assets is one of the most controversial aspects of the ‘agreement’ that Eurozone countries and the Troika forced on the Greek government during mid-July’s “night of shame”.

Details of exactly what Greece is required to privatise have now emerged with the leaking of the “Memorandum of Understanding for a three-year ESM programme” prepared by the Troika’s International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank. [1] The leaked document lists 23 state assets, ranging from airports to service utilities, and presents precise steps and timelines for privatisation.

It comes as a shock that this list includes two large public water companies: Athens Water Supply & Sewerage S.A (EYDAP) and Thessaloniki Water Supply & Sewerage S.A. (EYATH), which provide drinking water for the country’s two biggest cities. The Troika had insisted on water privatisation in an earlier memorandum, but strong public opposition had blocked this proposal.

In June 2014 the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, ruled that transferring a controlling stake in Athens’ public water utility EYDAP to private hands was unconstitutional because of the responsibility of the state to protect citizens’ fundamental right to health. [2] The new Memorandum foresees the sale of 11% of EYDAP shares, which seems minimal at face value, but given that 38.7% of EYDAP´s shares are already owned by private companies and individuals, it would leave 49.7% of the utility in private hands.

As for Thessaloniki, a non-binding referendum was held in May 2014, resulting in a 98% vote against water privatisation. This citizen-led initiative mobilised 218,002 voters and sent a crystal clear message rejecting the planned sale of 51% of EYATH shares to private investors (French water multinational Suez and Israel’s state-owned Merokot had shown interest). The leaked Memorandum now orders the liquidation of 23% of state-owned shares; knowing that another 26% are already in private hands, this would make the company 49% private.

In both cases, the Troika is demanding a selloff at the maximum level possible without directly conflicting with the court ruling. George Archontopoulos, the president of the Thessaloniki water workers’ union, fears that private investors “will be given management control as a present”. Therefore “whether it is 49% or 51%, we oppose further privatization of the company”, says Archontopoulos.

Rightly so because there are numerous examples of so-called public-private partnerships in which water multinationals own just under half of the shares but control the utility de facto. An ironic example is that of Germany´s capital Berlin, which sold off 49.9% of its water company (BWB) in 1999. Despite minority ownership, the private companies controlled management and were guaranteed high profits through secret contracts. In 2013, Berlin’s water was taken back in public hands, after almost 15 years of unpopular privatisation. As reported by The Guardian last week, the push by the German government and the EU institutions to privatise Greek water starkly contradicts the trend in the rest of Europe where cities are “remunicipalising” water after failed privatisation experiments. Germany’s water sector is overwhelmingly publicly-owned and publicly-managed and the German population enjoys high-quality water services provided by these public utilities.

Enough harm has been done already. The public water companies of Athens and Thessaloniki have been on the Athens stock exchange for nearly 15 years. Since then the number of employees in Thessaloniki decreased from 700 to 229. This is a very small number of water workers for a city over one million inhabitants and a 2,330-km piped network. In a comparable city like Amsterdam (1.3 million served population, 2,700 km network), the public water company employs 1,700 staff. Similar cuts have taken place in Athens.

The water utilities of both Athens and Thessaloniki are modern and well-functioning and there is no logical rationale for privatisation. Despite the severe social crisis in Greece, EYDAP and EYATH have been providing high quality, essential services at one of the most affordable tariffs in Europe. The companies are efficient and have healthy finances.

The Troika´s insistence on privatisation is driven by misguided ideology. For one, the sale of the water utilities shares will yield insignificant earnings when considering the big picture.

Worse, handing control over essential services to profit-driven multinationals presents serious risks for the most vulnerable among Greece’s crisis-hit population. The stubborn and aggressive imposition of privatisation goes against the will of Greek citizens and represents a direct attack on democracy. It is scandalous that the European Commission, one of the three institutions forming the Troika, ignores once again its EU treaty obligation to remain neutral when it comes to ownership of water services.[3]

[1] The document is available via the website of German Green MEP Sven Giegold: Greece Memorandum of Understanding for a three year ESM programme https://www.sven-giegold.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/MoU-draft-11-August.pdf
ANNEXES 1 HRDAF Asset Development Plan 30 July 2015 https://www.sven-giegold.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Privatisation-Programme.pdf
HRDAF Government Pending Actions 30 July 2015 https://www.sven-giegold.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Government-Pending-Actions-final.pdf
The list of privatisation projects is in the first annex.

[2] The ruling happened after 27.3 % of the shares were had been transferred to the privatisation fund HRADF in January 2014, to be sold to private investors. The court blocked the planned transfer of another 34.03% to HRADF.

[3]  ¨EU Commission forces crisis-hit countries to privatise water ¨, October 17th 2012; https://corporateeurope.org/pressreleases/2012/eu-commission-forces-crisis-hit-countries-privatise-water

The Government of Greece in an attempt to diminish the market value of EYDAP, is ready to write off more than € 700 m of its, thus making it easier for the prospective buyers to acquire. At the same time part of the sums owed by several municipalities to EYDAP will be paid by the State; this way the citizens will have paid twice, as the sums that are to be covered through taxes have already been paid (to the municipalities) by those who received said water and sewerage services.

The CEO of EYDAP (Antonis Vartholomaios, who is apparently not concerned about his civil and penal liabilities) has already attempted to force the BoD cut down the sums owed by the Greek State to the Company but failed. Due to the resistance of several Board Members the issue will be referred to a Shareholders extraordinary Meeting. The Board Members that opposed said proposal were Bank and Union representatives as well as the TAIPED (Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund – HRADF) one. The CEO has been forced to convene another meeting to which he is probably going to submit a similar proposal. Meanwhile the Government put forth an act to be discussed and voted by the Parliament whereby all its debts to EYDAP from 1999 on will be written off.

Memoranda Obligations of the Greek State

According to L 4179/2013 the Greek State will have to pay all it owes to EYDAP and EYATh before the companies are transferred to private prospectors. Such debts to EYDAP (services as well as the State’s share in investments and maintenance of the company’s network) amount to ca € 1,05 billion. Of this € 350 m have already been approved by Shareholders’ Meetings and legally entered in the company’s ledgers as claims, while the State has never offered (nor could it of course) any objection for the rest.

However the Government is trying to pay only € 350 m and write off the rest. In this they are assisted by the company’s CEO, who, after having failed to force the Board to decide on this, is referring the issue to the shareholders. Currently the majority (61,33% of the shares) is owned by the Greek State through HRADF. This simply means that the debtor of a company will decide as to how much and when of its debt shall be paid, while HRADF, which has the duty to sell the company’s shares in the highest possible price, will agree to lower its value by at least € 700 m. Still HRADF’s representative in the company’s Board expressed some concerns and hasn’t yet agreed to this.

Municipality Debts

At the same time (through art 52 of L 4186/2013, which deals with Education issues!) municipality debts to EYDAP are fixed to € 160 m, while interest and penalties over € 200 m have been written off. Such amounts however have already been collected from citizen consumers by the municipalities (and spent for altogether different matters) but will now be paid by the State, that is through taxes raised from these same citizens.

Note from SAVEGREEKWATER: To better understand how exactly the Greek government deals with the debts of the public sector towards EYDAP please refer to these two legislative moves before the calling of the general assembly of stakeholders of the company.

• The government proceeded in offsetting debts between EYDAP and the public sector through an amendment tabled by the ministers of Finance, Infrastructure and Tourism in the bill to reorganize the Tourism Organism EOT (31/07/2013). They also provided the power to determin any eventual debts until 30 June 2013 by Joint Ministerial Decision. This decision refers to debts by the State to EYDAP for infrastructure, construction of water projects of public entities, construction and maintenance of flood protection works, etc., and non-tax debts of the company towards the government.

• A joint ministerial decision (26/9/2013) the Ministers of Interior and Finance was issued to regulate the debts of first and second degree of municipalities to water companies EYDAP and EYATH. (FEK 2410B prot.n. 38560). This regulation refers to debts till the end of July 2013, totaling 162.3 million euros (about 150 million to EYDAP and about 13 million to EYATH) and it will be free from fines. The sum will be paid by the central government and will be deducted from each local government that created it, from their future revenues of state grants of the years 2015-2020.

[box] Over 130 civil society organisations, trade unions and individuals from Greece, Europe and around the world have teamed up with 50 Members of the European Parliament to send a letter to the bidders of the public water company in Thessaloniki urging them to drop their bid.[/box]

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The group has sent letters to companies including the French multinational Suez Environnement, Greek groups Aktor S.A and Terna Energy S.A as well as the Israeli groups Mekorot and Arison Investment concerning their reported bids for EYATH, the Thessaloniki Water and Sewage Company.

Under conditions imposed by the Troika to reduce Greece’s debt, EYATH has been put up for sale by the Greek government against the peoples’ wish. The citizens of the city, the workers as well as the municipalities of Thessaloniki oppose the sale of their public water and have set up different campaigns to stop this privatization.

“While in Greece there is no precedent, the international experience has shown that the privatisation of water has often resulted in the skyrocketing of prices and in some cases in the deterioration of water quality. Although the trend in Europe is towards remunicipalization of our water systems, we are being forced to go the opposite way here,” says Maria Kanellopoulou of initiative Save Greek Water. “EYATH is the first case of water privatization that we need to stop to make sure it does not spread to the rest of Greece,” she added. 

“Companies involved in water privatization have often found their reputations tarnished, their risks increased and their profits limited. The companies aiming to buy EYATH would be clearly basing their business model on opportunism and should take this as a warning sign of the difficulties to come,” said George Archontopoulos from the EYATH Workers Union.

“Last week the Eldorado Gold Corporation announced the suspension of production at the Halkidiki goldmine in Greece. This is another example of a company which is not wanted in Greece and which the people are prepared to fight against to stop the exploitation of one of their common resources. The residents have managed to stall the mine’s activities by a durable and dynamic resistance. This is the same situation we see for the protection of public water and EYATH in Thessaloniki,“ said Gabriella Zanzanaini, Director of European Affairs for Food & Water Europe.

“50 MEPs from the Conservatives, the Popular Party, the Liberals, the Greens, the Socialists and the Left from 18 countries cosigned the letter. This massive participation shows that international and local opposition to the sale of water services will pose a toll over any company that takes part in these privatizations. Companies should make a profit from the trade of private goods, not from acquiring market control over public goods. The European Parliament is sending a clear warning to the Greek government that the privatization of water is neither welcomed nor helping Greece to exit the crisis,” said Kriton Arsenis, Greek MEP, who helped to circulate the letter in the European Parliament.

The groups support keeping the profitable water company in public ownership, where real participation of citizens and workers in the management of water can happen. Considering the current European context where over 1, 600 000 citizens have signed the European Citizens Initiative to protect the right to water and the European Commission’s recent removal of water services from the controversial Concessions Directive, these companies would be going against the tide if they push forward on their bid for EYATH. 

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THE LETTER

We do not want you in Thessaloniki. Please withdraw your bid.

To the companies bidding for EYATH, the Thessaloniki Water and Sewage Company

The press has reported that your company is participating in a bid for Eyath, the Thessaloniki Water and Sewage Company. We ask you to withdraw your bid.

You will be aware that the privatisation of Eyath is opposed by the citizens of the city, by the workers as well as by the municipalities of Thessaloniki. The only reason that this privatisation is going ahead is because it is imposed by the Greek government, itself under pressure from the Troika to reduce Greek debt. There is nothing noble in profiting from this privatisation for you and your company. People in Thessaloniki, supported by many groups are concerned that you pursue profits at the expense of workers and citizens. As in other places, you will likely face years of protracted opposition both in Thessaloniki, Greece and across the world. These struggles are well documented. The companies involved find their reputations tarnished, their credibility in shreds, their risks increased and profits limited. We believe your bid is based on a feeble business case. We would hope that corporations today don’t base their business model on opportunism, nor venture into initiatives where they are clearly unwelcome.

There is an alternative to your bid that is supported by the workers of Eyath, by Thessonikians, by the municipalities, and us. That is to keep water in public ownership and ensure it can continue to deliver a high quality service. It is based on the fact that water is a common good and access to drinking water and sanitation is a basic human right as recognized by the UN (2010) and the successful European Citizens Initiative “Water a Human Right”.

We therefore ask you to withdraw your bid and let the citizens of Thessaloniki determine the future of Eyath.

Yours sincerely,

 Signed by

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GREECE

Organisations

Art Bank, Greece

·       Athens Initiative for a self – organized field at Hellenikon, Greece

·       Citizens of Pilio against the privatization and sell-off of water, Greece

·       Citizens’ Initiative for a fundamental constitutional revision

·       Consumer Social Cooperative of Thessaloniki “Βίος Coop”, Greece

·       Ecological Group “Mother Earth”, Pieria, Greece

·       Ecology-Solidarity (Oikologia – Allilengyi), Greece

·       Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki, Greece

·       Ecology-Greens (Oikologi – Prasinoi) of Central Macedonia

·       EDOTH N/T ADEDY THESSALONIKIS

·       ELE Audit committee for the public debt of Greece

·       Environmental Society of Preveza, Greece

·       FOINIX Organization for sustainable growth applications, Crete

·       Free Popular Resistance Group (E.L.L.A.S.), Greece

·       Hellenic Biodiversity Center, Greece

·       Ikaria Center for Documentation, Research and Action, Greece

·       Initiative 136, Greece

·       Initiative for an understanding of waste disposal management, Greece

·       Network of Exchange and Solidarity of Magnesia, Greece

·       Pancretan Struggle Network against Industrial Renewable Energy Sources

·       People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy, Greece

·       PROSKALO – Cooperation Initiative for the Social and Solidarity Economy

·       SEEYATH, Somateio Ergazomenon EYATH, Greece

·       SOStetoNERO, Greece

·       Save Greek Water, Greece

·       Trade Unions Centre of Thessaloniki, part of G.S.E.E, Greece

·       Without Debt, Without Euro – Community of Thought and Action, Greece

EUROPE

Organisations

·       Action from Ireland, Ireland

·       Agua de Todos, Portugal

·       Abvakabo FNV, The Netherlands

·       Aquattac

·       Alburnus Maior Association (Save Rosia Montana Campaign)

·       Asociatia Bankwatch Romania

·       Associação Sindical dos Profissionais da Inspecção Tributária, Portugal

·       ATTAC Austria

·       ATTAC Castilla y León, Spain

·       ATTAC España

·       ATTAC Norway

·       Berliner Wassertisch, Germany

·       BSRB Federation of State and Municipal Employees, Iceland

·       Campaign for the Welfare State, Norway

·       Centro di Volontariato Internazionale, Italia

·       CGSP Centrale Générale des Services Publics Wallonne, Belgium

·       Confederação Portuguesa das Colectividades de Cultura, Recreio e Desporto (CPCCRD), Portugal

·       Coordination Eau Île-de-France, France

·       Corporate Europe Observatory

·       Coordination Gaz-Électricité-Eau Bruxelles, Belgium   

     Coordination Rhône-Méditerranée des Associations des Usagers de l’Eau, France

     CSC-FEC, Belgium

·       Eau Bien Commun PACA, France

·       Eau Secours 34, France

·       Ecologistas en Acción, Spain

·       Eco Ruralis Association – In support of traditional and organic farmers

·       ELA, Basque Workers Solidarity

·       Euracme, Belgium

·       European Federation of Food Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, Belgium

·       European Federation of Public Service Unions

·       European Water Movement

·       Federacion de Empleados Publicos de la Union Sindical Obrera, España

·       Federation “Construction, Industry and Water-Supply” – “PODKREPA”, Bulgaria

·       Fédération des services publics CGT, France

·       FOA – Trade and Labour, Denmark

·       Food & Water Europe

·       Forum Italiano Movimenti per l’Acqua, Italy

·       Foundation for Environment and Agriculture, Bulgaria

·       France Libertés – Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, France

·       Gemeingut in BürgerInnenhand (GiB), Germany

·       GoodPlanet Belgium

·       Government and Public Entities Section – General Workers’ Union, Malta

·       InfOMG – Information Center about GMO’s, Romania

·       Ingénieurs sans frontières, Belgium

·       Institut Européen de Recherche sur la Politique de l’Eau, Belgium

·       Kairos Europe

·       Marée Citoyenne, France

·       Movimento Pela Água, Portugal

·       Mouvement Utopia, France

·       Pancyprian Freedom Guild Worker Water Boards, Cyprus

·       Parti ÉGALITÉ, Belgium

·       Social Development Cooperative, The Netherlands

·       SIPTU Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union, Ireland

·       Swedish Municipal Workers Union, Kommunal, Sweden

·       Sindikata zdravstva Crne Gore, Montenegro

·       The Angry Youth – informal group in Cluj-Napoca, Romania

·       The Corner House, UK

·       The Finnish Public Services Unions’ EU Party FIPSU ry, Finland

·       The Slovak-Scandinavian cooperative Urd, Slovakia

·       Trade Union of Local Government Employess, Denmark

·       Trade Union of State and Local Goverment Employees, Croatia

·       Trade Union of  Public and Welfare Sectors JHL ry, Finland

·       Objectif Ô, Belgium

·       Organic Agriculture Association, Albania

·       Oxfam Solidarité, Belgium

·       PROTOS, Belgium

·       Re:Common, Italy

·       Re.Generation – Bucharest, Romania

·       VISION, Sweden

·       Vodovod I Kanalizacija, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

·       Water Movement Norway

·       WIB “Wasser in Bürgerhand”, Germany

·       Unison, Bristol Water Services Branch, UK

·       UNIÃO DOS SINDICATOS DE LISBOA (USL/CGTP-IN), Portugal

·       Zukunftskonvent, Germany

INTERNATIONAL

Organisations

·       Alliance of Government Workers in the Water Sector, Philippines

·       Blue Planet Project, Canada

·       Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canada

·       Citizen’s Front for Water Democracy (CFWD), India

·       Confederation Chretienne des Syndicats Malgaches “Sekrima”, Madagascar

·       Federación Nacional de Trabajadores del Agua Potable del Peru, Peru

·       Federation of Parastatal Bodies and Other Unions, Mauritius

·       Food & Water Watch, USA

·       Information Resource Centre (For Mah. labour) Nagpur, India

·       Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development

·       KRuHA people’s coalition for the right to water, Indonesia

·       LDA EU, Pakistan

·       Nagpur Municipal Corporation Employees Union, India

·       National Platform Against Water Privatization (NPAWP), India

·       The Council of Canadians, Canada

·       Transnational Institute

·       Public Sector Employees Fedration of Pakistan, Pakistan

·       Public Service Alliance of Canada, Canada

·       Public Services International

·       Red Vida, the Americas

·       South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), South Africa

·       Su Hakki Kampanyasi, Turkey

·       Swarna Hansa Foundation, Sri Lanka

·       Water & Energy Users’ Federation (WAFED), Nepal

Members of the European Parliament

·       ANDERSON Martina, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Ireland

·       ARLACCHI Pino, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       ARSENIS Kriton, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Greece

·       BALDINI Marino,Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Croatia

·       BÈLIER Sandrine, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, France

·       BENNAHMIAS Jean-Luc, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, France

·       CASHMAN Michael, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, United Kingdom

·       CASTEX Françoise, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, France

·       CHILDERS Nessa, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Ireland

·       COFFERATI Sergio Gaetano, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

     DELVAUX Anne, Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), Belgium

·       EICKHOUT Bas, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Netherlands

·       GARCIA-HIERRO CARABALLO Dolores, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Spain

·       HÂNDEL Thomas, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Germany

·       JAAKONSAARI Liisa, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Finland

·       JADOT Yannick, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, France

·       JONG de Cornelis, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Netherlands

·       KADENBACH Karin, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Austria

·       KLEVA KEKUŠ Mojca, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Slovenia

·       KOVÀCS Béla, Non-attached Members, Hungary

·       LAMBERT Jean, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, United Kingdom

·       LEICHTFRIED Jörg, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Austria

·       LEINEN Jo, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Germany

·       MERKIES Judith A., Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Netherlands

·       MILANA Guido, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       MIRANDA Ana, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Spain

·       PALECKIS Justas Vincas, Lithuania

·       PAPADOPOULOU Antigoni, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Cyprus

·       PERELLO RODRIGUEZ, Andres, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Spain

·       PIRILLO Mario, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       PITTELA Gianni, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       PRODI Vittorio, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       REGNER Evelyn, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Austria

·       RIVASI Michèle, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, France

·       ROMEVA I RUEDA Raül, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Spain

·       RÜHLE Heidi, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany

·       SCHOLZ Helmut, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Germany

·       SIMON Peter, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Germany

·       STADLER Ewald, Non-attached member, Austria

·       STAES Bart, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Belgium

·       TARABELLA Marc, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Belgium

·       TOIA Patrizia, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Italy

·       ULVSKOG Marita, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Sweden

·       VAJGL Ivo, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Slovenia

·       WEIDENHOLZER Josef, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Austria

·       WILS Sabine, Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Germany

·       WOJCIECHOWSKI Janusz, European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Poland

·       ZANONI Andrea, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Italy

·       ZIMMER Gabi, President of Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, Germany, Germany

INDIVIDUALS 

 ·     David McDonald, Professor, Queen’s University, Canada

·       David Barkin, Profesor de Economía, Mexico

·       Lucienne THIPHAINE, journaliste et plasticienne. France

·       Ursula Pezeu, sophrologist, translator, France

·       Jutta Schutz, Aquattac

·       Leslie Franke and Herdolor Lorenz, Kernfilm

·       Evgnomia Xinu, Thessaloniki, Greece

·       Christophe Thurotte, Chargé d’études, GAIA Concept, France

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[box] INKA, the oldest consumers union in Greece published a press release against the privatization of water services and the commercialization of our natural resource. We hope that soon other consumer unions will publish similar announcements .[/box]

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[box] With the occasion of the world water day, EDEYA (Federation of Municipal Water & Sewage Companies of Greece) released an announcement where it is states its actions, it refers to the remunicipalization trend that is strong in all Europe regarding water and sanitation services and takes a position for the public character of water management. [/box]

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Republication from Eleytheria Newspaper published in Larissa, city of EDEYA headquarters

Translation SAVEGREEKWATER team

“Procedures for the return of water management operations to public (state or municipal) control have been on the rise during the last years. Private management of water has both led to a substantial increase of its price as well as to a lowering of the quality of offered services.” So states the Union of Municipal Water and Sewage Companies (EDEYA) in an announcement, signed by its Chairman (George Marinakes, Mayor in Rethymnon), and made on the occasion of the International Day for Water.

Said announcement continues: “Since 1980 Water Supply, Sewage and Waste Management to almost half of the Greek Population have been run by some 130 municipal companies (DEYA). Such companies have managed to overcome their teething problems and already constitute a dynamic arm of the public sector as far as Water Management and Environmental Protection are concerned.”

According to EUREAU (European Federation of National Association of Water and Waste Water Services) through their 30 years of existence the DEYAs have evolved to effective and flexible organizations with competent staffs and employees and, through investments of some € 8,5 billion, created and operate several Water Supply and Sewage Networks and Plants for Waste Management similar to those operating in the most technologically advanced countries of the western world.

Everyone knows that the Water Companies of Athens (EYDAP) and Thessaloniki (EYATh) have been earmarked for privatization. So everyone shall ask themselves the question: do we really need privately owned Water and Sewage companies?

Strong arguments for keeping such companies public in Greece and elsewhere are:

1. Water Supply and Sewage services are directly connected and absolutely necessary for human survival as well as for human health. Keeping these under public control at least guarantees that issues such as public safety and environmental protection will not be overlooked.
2. In most of the world’s richest countries (USA, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden etc) Water Supply and Sewage are run by public companies
3. Even though water may have a financial and environmental value its value as a means of living shall not be left to be regularized by the markets. Water is obtained through natural sources in patterns unstable, uncontrolled and impossible to guarantee; the intricacies of its management for the common good can only be met by organizations not having as a target the increase of their profits.

The DEYAs operate having as their target the effective management of water resources, never aiming to higher profits obtained through an increase in water consumption. Especially during periods of draught public water supply companies (in stark contrast to private ones) aim rather to obtaining a decrease in consumption instead of increasing the prices of offered services.

Internationally the tendency is towards returning water management, previously granted to private companies, to public and municipal institutions as happened for example in Paris, France. Private water management has led to price increases and quality deterioration, which led the citizens in several countries to openly oppose continuation of such practices (plebiscites in Italy and Austria, European Citizens Initiative etc)

During the last 30 years the DEYAs have successfully responded to the task set to them, creating modern and functional water supply and sewage systems throughout the Greek countryside, which are comparable to those run by more advanced and richer countries in the European Union and Europe in general. Of course they have faced, and are still struggling against, economical and organizational issues not of their doing but rather due to the vagueness of the legal background they have been created on and must operate to, as well as the financial issues endemic to operations in the Greek State. Still they managed to operate independent of the central government and kept their original character as real public service institutions, while at the same time they effectively managed water supply and contributed to the protection of the public health and the environment without costing a single € to the State Treasury.

The financial crisis forced onto Greece shall not be an excuse for the transfer of water supply and sewage to private institutions as such cannot in any way offer any guarantee that public health and environmental protection will take first place versus their profits.

The financial strains Greece is forced to operate in shall instead constitute a chance for the modernization, the rationalization of the structure and the operations and the financial purging of public/municipal water and sewage companies. Such companies and the people working in them shall themselves strive to become more effective and increase the quality of services offered to the public.

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Here follows the letter in english and french.

Les tyrans ont toujours quelque ombre de vertu Ils soutiennent les lois avant de les abattre

Voltaire

(Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.)

Frenchmen, our brothers!

On the 19^th of February, your President, François Hollande, visited the capital of our country, Athens. “Our message to Greece is a message of friendship, support, trust and growth” stated your President and asked the French corporations to invest… to invest in land and water.

Hollande and Samaras (Greek PM) talk about “investments” in the sector of water resources management, resources which are protected by the Greek Constitution, and belong to none, nor the Prime minister, to trade them in.

We are very well acquainted with your struggle to protect the social and common goods and your sensitivity to water management. After years of private management and despite the fact that the two bigger players, Suez and Veolia are of French interests, Paris, Brest, Varage, Durance-Luberon, Castres, Cherbourg, Toulouse and others vindicated and succeeded to return water into public hands. And they did so after they experienced the consequences of water commercialization, the surge in water prices, the inequality in access to water services, the reduced investments in network maintenance and expansion and the monopoly practices. Even though in Greece the citizens have forgotten the distant era of 1925, result of the international audit of that time, where water in Athens was at the hands of the American Ulen, the younger of us, by reading and studying, we share with you the exact same worries for the forthcoming privatization of EYDAP and EYATH (Athens and Thessaloniki water companies) and other, as the rumor has it, municipal services.

And our agony gets intensified and transformed in rage, when we read the answer of Oli Rehn’ Directorate to the civil society groups that confirms that the European Commission intensively pushes for the privatization in all troubled countries that receive loans, despite the fact that this is directly opposite to the Directive for neutrality when it comes to public or private property of water services management (article 345 TFEU and article 171 Directive 2006/123/EC on internal market services) but also on the Protocol on Public Services of the Treaty. At the same time, the Commission and the Greek government ignore to their knowledge the fact that it is the Commission itself that conducts a research on Suez Veolia and Saur monopolistic practices and practices of conduct harmonization.

In this country therefore, in the brink of default, that loses daily its sovereignty and independence and where citizens’ voices and reactions against the colonial sell-off of its natural resources are drowned under the dogma of “zero tolerance”, the Greek government, that stole the Greeks’ vote to “renegotiate” the memorandum, thinks it is urgent to cash in with anything that can be sold, and it seems they have for sale not only its heritage but also a part of its soul. We, the Greek citizens, return humiliated to an era of protectorate, forced to privatize our water, which will become thus not safe and expensive.

After the grand Italian referendum for the water on 2011, the remunicipalization in many French cities, the legislating from the Netherlands in 2004 of compulsory public management of water services and the existing protection of water in the German Constitution, we cannot help but wonder: Does the EU still considers us Europeans? And we are sad, exactly because we are indeed Europeans, not only for us, but for the event that we will become, against our will, the Trojan horse for the creation of a water market everywhere in Europe. We know that the French people will become not a euro richer, even if French water corporations expanded their action to the last of our islands and that is why call on you to stand on our side. We do not want such “investments” that mean privatization of profits and socialization of costs, which will hold our country indebted for eternity.

We want to shout at you with all the power of our souls that water privatization in Greece is a matter of all Europeans that have for many years now resisted vigorously the commercialization of water services. It is a step backward in our common struggle for commons and human life. For all of us, water is more than a common good, it’s a symbol of justice and freedom, a collective heritage that we have the duty to safeguard and deliver safe and free to the next generation.

In conclusion, Greece’s destiny is also Europe’s destiny, a Europe behaving as an undemocratic oligarchy, installing a new type of feudarchy of the 21^st century, where decision making is reserved for the market lobbies.

Frenchmen, our brothers, we the Greek citizens ask you to stand on our side on this struggle for the democratic management of our water resources, against a troika that decides and commands and a government enchained, sometimes to its pleasure, to the memorandum clauses. It is time we give together a new impetus to the triptych liberty – equality – fraternity.

Το εναντιούμενον τω δυναστεύοντι δήμος ωνόμασται.

That which is opposed to the tyrant has the name “demos” (people)

Thucydides, 460-394 B.C.

« Les tyrans ont toujours quelque ombre de vertu. Ils soutiennent les lois avant de les abattre. » Voltaire, Catilina, acte I, scène 5.

Français, nos frères !

Le 19 février 2013, votre président, François Hollande, s’est rendu dans notre capitale Athènes. « Notre message envers la Grèce est un message d’amitié profonde, de soutien, de confiance et de croissance » : voilà ce qu’a dit votre président. Avant d’appeler les entreprises françaises à investir… dans la terre et l’eau.

François Hollande et Antonis Samaras (Premier ministre grec) parlent « d’investissements » dans le domaine de la gestion des ressources en eau de la Grèce, ressources naturelles protégées par la Constitution grecque, qui n’appartiennent à personne d’entre nous, ni même au Premier ministre qui veut en faire commerce.

Nous connaissons très bien votre combat pour la protection des biens publics et sociaux et votre sensibilisation au sujet de la gestion de l’eau. Après des dizaines d’années de gestion privée de l’eau, et bien que Suez et Veolia, les deux grandes multinationales de l’eau, aient des intérêts français, les villes de Paris, Brest, Varages, Durance-Lubéron, Castres, Cherbourg, Toulouse et d’autres, se sont battues et ont obtenu que la gestion de l’eau redevienne publique. Ces villes ont agi ainsi après avoir vécu les conséquences de la commercialisation de l’eau, la montée vertigineuse des prix, l’accès inégal aux services hydrauliques, la baisse des investissements dans l’entretien du réseau, et les pratiques monopolistiques.

Même si en Grèce les citoyens ont oublié les temps lointains de 1925, quand l’eau d’Athènes était aux mains de l’entreprise américaine Ulen, nous les plus jeunes avons étudié et réfléchi à cette question, et nous partageons des inquiétudes similaires aux vôtres concernant la privatisation à venir des Compagnies des eaux ΕΥΑΘ et ΕΥΔΑΠ (compagnies de gestion de l’eau à Athènes et Thessalonique), et de nombreux autres services municipaux selon les bruits qui courent.

Notre inquiétude grandit et se transforme en colère quand nous lisons la réponse du commissaire européen Olli Rhen aux organisations de la société civile, qui confirme que la Commission européenne promeut à dessein la privatisation dans tous les pays qui bénéficient de plans de sauvetage. Bien que cela soit totalement contraire à la Directive de neutralité concernant la propriété ou la gestion privée ou publique des services de l’eau [1], mais aussi contraire au Protocole concernant les Services publics du Traité. Dans le même temps, la Commission et le gouvernement grec font semblant d’ignorer que la Commission elle-même effectue une recherche sur les pratiques monopolistiques de Suez, Veolia et Saur.

Dans notre pays qui se trouve au bord de la faillite et qui jour après jour perd une partie de sa souveraineté et de son indépendance, où les voix et protestations des citoyens contre le bradage colonialiste de ses ressources naturelles sont noyées sous le dogme de la « tolérance zéro », le gouvernement grec – qui a escamoté le vote des Grecs pour « renégocier » le mémorandum – considère qu’il est urgent de remplir ses caisses avec tout ce qui peut se vendre. Il semble qu’il vende non seulement son héritage, mais aussi une partie de son âme. Nous, les citoyens grecs, nous retournons, humiliés, aux temps du protectorat, obligés de privatiser notre eau – ce qui la rend chère et peu sûre.

Après l’impressionnant référendum italien pour l’eau, en 2011, le retour à la gestion publique dans de nombreuses villes françaises, la réglementation aux Pays-Bas en 2004 qui impose une gestion publique des services de l’eau, et la protection de l’eau par la constitution allemande, nous ne pouvons que nous demander : l’Union européenne nous considère-t-elle encore comme des Européens ? Et nous sommes tristes, justement parce que nous sommes Européens, non seulement pour nous, mais parce que nous allons devenir contre notre volonté le cheval de Troie de la marchandisation de l’eau partout en Europe. Nous savons que le peuple français ne s’enrichira pas de l’activité des multinationales françaises de l’eau, même si elle devait s’étendre jusqu’à la dernière de nos îles. C’est pourquoi nous vous invitons à vous tenir à nos côtés. Nous ne voulons pas de ces « investissements », qui signifient privatisation des gains et socialisation des coûts. Ce qui conduira notre pays à s’endetter jusqu’à la nuit des temps.

Nous voulons vous crier du fond de notre âme que la privatisation de l’eau, en Grèce, est une question qui concerne tous les Européens, qui depuis des années résistent vigoureusement à toute marchandisation des services de l’eau. C’est un pas en arrière dans notre combat pour les biens publics et pour la vie humaine. Pour nous tous, l’eau est plus qu’un bien commun, c’est le symbole de la justice et de la liberté, un héritage collectif que nous avons le devoir de protéger, pour le transmettre libre et sûr à la génération future.

En conclusion, le destin de la Grèce est aussi le destin de l’Europe. Une Europe qui se comporte en oligarchie anti-démocratique, installant une féodalité du XXIe siècle d’un nouveau genre, où la prise de décision est réservée aux lobbies.

Français, nos frères, nous les citoyens grecs, nous vous demandons d’être à nos côtés dans le combat que nous menons pour une gestion démocratique de nos ressources en eau, face à une troïka (FMI, Banque mondiale, Commission européenne, ndlr), qui décide et ordonne, et un gouvernement grec, qui n’est qu’aliéné, parfois de bon gré, aux directives du mémorandum. L’heure est venue que nous donnions ensemble un nouveau souffle à la devise liberté-égalité-fraternité.

Το εναντιούμενον τω δυναστεύοντι δήμος ωνόμασται. «

On appelle démos (le peuple), ceux qui s’opposent au tyran. »

Thucydide (460-394 av. J.-C.).

[box] The Water Coordinating Committee of Pelion and Volos residents organize an event –  debate under the title “Privatization of water: yet another measure of economic and social oppression”, on Saturday, 16/2, at 6:00 pm at the auditorium Kordatou, at University of Thessaly (Papastratou building). The topic will be presented by Marioglou Costas, vice president of the association of workers of EYATH and member of the “Movement 136” for the social management of EYATH and Maria Kanellopoulou member of the Initiative for the non privatization of water in Greece, SAVEGREEKWATER. The speakers will deliver knowledge and experience on the aftermath of water privatization in Greece and abroad, and in the discussion that will follow, the audience will be given the opportunity to ask freely questions so that eventually all attendees can gain a more informed view on the consequences of the attempted privatization in our country.[/box]

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[box] Immediate was the response of the employees union of EYATH  after yesterday’s announcement by Mr Athanasopoulos of TAIPED of the sale of 51 percent of EYATH till October 2013.We remind here,  that from 1999 until today during the semi-privatization of the company, the number of employees decreased from 700 to 265 while for a  2,330 km network and 510,000 water meters the company employs 11 plumbers!. As for the invoices there were increases of up to 300 percent.[/box]

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Announcement OF Employees Union OF EYATH

Yesterday the Parliament disxussed  the issue of privatization of EYATH. MPs were informed by TAIPED that the Government decided to allocate the water of Thessaloniki to private interests.
“Taking the floor, Mr. Athanasopoulos, explained that the sale of shares of EYATH SA does not constitute TAIPED’ s initiative but that of the government  in accordance with the medium-term agreement,” renouncing thus any eventual legal responsibilities.
No need to repeat that EYATH is to be in reality given away to some private interests to make big money. A rough reduction of its profits to a depth of 30 years which is also the period of the concession, implies net profit of over 600,000,000 euros.
Until October they estimate το finish with EYATH, they estimate to finish with the water of Thessaloniki, they  count, they keep counting but do they count us in?
They underrate us and that’s their mistake.
The people of Thessaloniki can stop the plunder.

Together, in coordination, we can stop them.

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The tv show of German public television network “Monitor” held recently a research for the pressure that European Commission exerts on EU countries members to privatize the services of water supply.

The reportage starts with e reference on the region Pacos de Ferreira, in Portugal, where the privatization was imposed and within a few years water price increased by 400% and it’s still increasing on a 6% annual rate. “We cannot drink water anymore, as we used to do in the past, it is not good” report the residents of the region who have opposed the privatization since the beginning.

The 8 minutes duration video continues by exploring the heart of the matter in Brussels.It presents an in-depth research of the situation with documents that prove that a decision has already been made on “ opening  the water market ”,  a market, that is estimated in three- digit numbers of billions of euros. This procedure is , as it is mentioned, only to start from the southern countries.

The reportage informs us that the team of experts who act as advisors to Mr Barnier, the powerful man of EU Commission, and who decide the policy on water, is called Steering Group and consists of several CEOs of the biggest corporations of the water market.

“I did not select the group” Barnier declares when the journalist reads to him the participants’ list by adding “If you ask me if the current group composition could be more balanced I’d say yes”

“Water a human right or a billion euros business? ”

“Brussels has already decided”.

“Water in the future shall belong to the corporations rather than all of us.”

This is how a reportage of  a real news  broadcast of  a real public television ends. That of the German  public television.

We wish soon to see the same attitude in one of our own public networks.

This response lacks any documentary evidence to support this policy and there is no mention regarding  the legal basis upon which the commission proceeds to the imposition of such loan conditionality clauses, which, as explicitly stated in the letter of organizations, runs counter to the directives of neutrality in relation to the private or public ownership and collective management of water services (Article 345 TFEU and Article 17 1 of the Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market) and the Public Services Protocol of the Treaty. In the organizations letter, it is even mentioned that no initiative has been taken by the Commission to implement the UN resolution of July 2010 that acknowledges access to clean water and sanitation as a human right.

The new letter also refers to the reversal of privatization trend in the water sector that flourished in the 1990s and the new remunicipalization trend,  blowing now in Europe, after the experience of bad economic effects brought about by privatization in various cities. It is also noted that the only serious economic research that has been done on the subject does not support at any time the claim of the EU Commission “that privatization results in cost reduction”.

The initiative SAVEGREEKWATER, cosigns the letter and states unequivocally to the Greek government that it will proceed in all legal procedures to prevent this sad development in the water sector.

We once again call all Greek citizens and associations, scientific institutions and first degree unions and clubs to cosign our petition text, if they are generally in line with its direction so we can stand this time all together against the arbitrariness of the unelected Commissioners and undemocratic, unprofitable and unsubstantiated privatization of water services in our country.

From the part of Greece, the letter is also cosigned by Movement 136 of Thessaloniki.

The letter is cosigned by the Organizations

Água é de todos (Portugal)

Aquattac

ATTAC Hungary

ATTAC Spain

Berliner Wassertisch (Germany)

Blue Planet Project

Coordination Nationale des Associations de Consommateurs d’Eau (CACE)

Coordination Eau Ile de France

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

Council of Canadians

La Coordination Rhône-Méditerranée des Associations des Usagers de l’Eau (CRAUE)

Ecologistas en Accion (Spain)

European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

Food & Water Europe

France Libertés

Gemeingut in BürgerInnenhand (Germany)

Ingenieres Sin Fronteras (Spain)

Italian Forum of Water Movements

Movement 136 (Greece)

Mouvement Utopia (France)

Save Greek Water (Greece)

Transnational Institute (TNI)

Wasser in Bürgerhand (Germany)

Za Zemiata (Bulgaria)

LETTER RESPONSE OF EUROPEAN WATER MOVEMENT 17/10/2012

EU COMMISSION REPLY 26/9/2012

FIRST LETTER OF EUROPEAN WATER MOVEMENT 15/5/2011

PRESS RELEASE OF EUROPEAN WATER MOVEMENT 17 Oct

EU Commission Forces Crisis-hit Countries to Privatize Water

 Brussels – The European Commission is deliberately promoting privatization of water services as one of the conditions being imposed as part of bailouts, it acknowledged in a letter to civil society groups on 26 September 2012.[1] EU Commissioner Olli Rehn’s directorate was responding to questions posed in an open letter concerning the European Commission’s role in imposing privatization through the Troika in Greece, Portugal and other countries.[2] The civil society groups have today written to Commissioner Rehn to demand that he stop “any further pressure to impose water privatization conditionalities”.[3]

The Commission’s push for privatization disregards the fact that water privatization has failed to deliver results in Europe and around the world. Paris and many other cities have recently remunicipalized their water services due to negative experiences with privatization. The Dutch government in 2004 passed a law banning private sector provision of water supply and the Italian Constitutional Court ruled that any future legislation attempting to privatise public services would be unconstitutional.

The Commission has not put forward any evidence to back its stance in its reply, even though research shows that public provision is often more effective than private. It also violates key articles of the EU Treaty that state the EU should be neutral on the question of water ownership.[4]

Members of the European Parliament have already tabled a question to the Commission asking for clarification on the contradiction between the Troika’s recommendations and the required neutrality of the Commission.

“This really demonstrates how the Commission has lost touch with reality. Their ideological arguments are not based on substantiated facts and goes to the extreme of ignoring the democratic will of the people,” said Gabriella Zanzanaini, Director of European Affairs for Food & Water Europe.

“The Commission has a lot to explain. Not only is there is no evidence at all to support the view that the private sector is more efficient, but there is very strong public resistance to privatization. European citizens will not back down quietly on this,” said Jan Willem Goudriaan of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).

As movements around Europe are gathering momentum to fight the sale of public water, the first European Citizen’s Initiative has been launched to promote the implementation of the right to water for all in Europe and the idea that water supply and management of water resources should not be subject to ‘internal market rules,’ and that water should be excluded from liberalization.[5]

Contact:

Pablo Sanchez EPSU

tel: 0032 474 626 633 email: [email protected]

Olivier Hoedeman, Corporate Europe Observatory

tel: 0032 4 7448 6545   email: [email protected]

Gabriella Zanzanaini, Food & Water Europe

tel: 0032 488 409 662 email: [email protected]

Notes:

[1]https://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/FoodWaterEuropeWaterPrivatization17Oct2012.pdf (page 4)

[2] https://corporateeurope.org/open-letter-eu-commission-water-privatisation

[3]https://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/FoodWaterEuropeWaterPrivatization17Oct2012.pdf

[4] The EU’s supposed neutrality on the question of public or private ownership and management of collective water services is outlined in article 345 TFEU and Art. 171 of the Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market.

[5] https://www.right2water.eu