From Naples a clear message: Stop privatizations, public water “without any ifs or Ltds”

The Assembly of the Water Movements, met in Naples on 20th November 2021 following the national demonstration held in the morning, feels committed to oppose privatization processes of the integrated water service launched in the present phase, to affirm water as common good and to re-publicize water services.

To this purpose the Assembly deems necessary:

• To reaffirm the great value of the experience carried out by Azienda Speciale ABC Napoli (ABC Naples Special Company), bulwark of democracy and of implementation of the will expressed in the referendum. To that effect, the Assembly requests mayor of Naples to make a clear terse statement in defence of and in securing ABC Naples Special Company as a public law body, by preventing in the meantime any attempt to change its juridical nature and to consequently privatize it.
• To prevent PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) from constituting a further factor of penalization the South of Italy and an attempt to make it land of conquest for the Multi-services companies in the management of water services and local public services. To that effect, the Assembly asks Minister of the Ecological Transition to withdraw the circulaire of 12th May 2021 that prevents a plurality of operators of water services from having access to the PNRR funds. This disposition, having, by its very nature, only effects inside the Ministry, is illegitimate, without legal basis and in contrast with European principles whose scope is the elimination of social and territorial inequalities.
• To counter the plan of privatization of the integrated water service and of local public services delineated in the DDL concorrenza (Competition Bill). And even more, we deem necessary to remove Art. 6 from the above mentioned bill, because this article is not conforming to the referendum obligation, as it excludes public governance and favours de facto private monopolists.

To this aim, we will fight with our initiatives of mobilization and proposal, so that the people’s will, expressed in the 2011 referendum and re-launched in the Naples Manifesto, be fully acknowledged and accomplished.