News from the Ground

The battle to keep water out of the european internal market

A test case for democracy in Europe.

The European Commission has in recent weeks gone on a PR offensive in response to growing criticism of its pro-privatisation agenda for the water sector. The criticism centres around the water privatisation conditions attached to the Troika’s rescue packages for Greece and Portugal, and the proposed EU concessions directive, which could lead to increased privatisation pressure on public water municipalities across Europe.

The concessions directive, which has the stated object of opening markets and eliminating “discrepancies among national regimes”, would end the exemption that has so far existed for drinking water supply and for the first time bring it under the rules of the EU’s single market.

British water companies are caught avoiding tax

British water companies are avoiding millions of pounds in tax by loading themselves up with debt listed on an offshore stock exchange, an investigation has revealed.

The disclosure is likely to reignite the public outcry about legal tax avoidance by big firms at a time when Britain is drowning in debt and suffering painful public spending cuts. It comes only a week after industry regulator Ofwat announced that water bills would rise by an average of 3.5 per cent to £388 a year. Corporate Watch found six UK water companies took high-interest loans from their owners through the Channel Islands stock exchange. Interest payments on the loans reduce taxable profits in the UK and, thanks to a regulatory loophole, go to the owners tax free.

Water situation in Slovakia

The Government of the Slovak Republic adopted the Landscape Revitalisation and Integrated River Basin Management Programme at the session on 27 October 2010. It recognized that dueto the farming methods (not only) in our territory the landscape’s ability to hold water was substantially weakened. The Programme was based on the principles, rules and framework conditions for ensuring flash flood prevention, drought risks and integrated river basin management.

The Landscape Revitalization Programme’s main tool consisted in improvement of rainwater retention. It set a goal to restore landscape water retention capacity of at least 250 million m3 in damaged parts of the landscape. The costs or financial aid from public funds were set at 4€ per cubic meter of water retention capacity of an element, measure or system.

Warning to MEPs about Suez Agbar visit in Barcelona

The Spanish members of the European Water Movement have written to Members of the European Parliament with their concerns about a visit by Suez-Agbar to Barcelona today on 28 February 2013.

Respected Parliamentarians of the European Union,

As you will be aware, Suez-Agbar have invited you to visit, on 1^st March, water installations in the Barcelona region. We would strongly urge you to both send this letter to the members of your party and to not take up the invitation. The fact is that the planned programme is biased, failing to provide alternative views from all interested parties throughout Spanish society, such as NGOs. These elements and opinions are essential, especially when dealing with public services and the environment.

Conflict in Barcelona/Catalonia - Creating a new company without concession

Opposition grows to Agbar’s home rule

A heated debate is raging over the legality of a recent concession award to Spanish water services company Agbar. The outcome could have major repurcussions for the company’s footprint in its home city. The recent decision by the metropolitan area of Barcelona (AMB) to award a 35-year integral water cycle concession for greater Barcelona to Spain’s largest private operator Agbar without an open tender is facing concerted opposition from private sector water operators, NGOs and municipalities.

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