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.

The Platfom Aigua és Vida (Water is Life) and the citizens of Barcelona need your support, please sign the MANIFESTO of support here.

Many of us are suffering every day the impacts of water privatisation. In Catalonia the monopolist and for-profit approach water service is widely extended, having most of the municipalities their water service privatised and managed by AGBAR, subsidiary of the french multinational SUEZ. The contempt and impacts of SUEZ all over the world is well-known for all of you, with some rellevant examples like the cancellation of the contracts in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Córdoba (Argentina), La Paz y El Alto (Bolivia), Atlanta (UEA), París (France), etc, or the strong opposition in El Saltillo (Mexico), Johannesburg (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia) or Manila (Philippines), among many others.

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.

Update on the current situation

On 30th May, the Madrid government announced its decision to give up for the time being, the privatization of the Canal Isabel II. Due to the actual economic situation posing an obstacle to its sale to private companies. However, it still announced the creation of a 100% public limited company, called Canal de Isabel II Gestión SA to manage the full cycle of water.

On the 6th of June, the board of directors of Canal Isabel II approved the establishment of the new company, signed off the inventory of assets and statutes of the new company and its program of activity, even though the vote was opposed by the company’s work council, a representative body of workers and management. Its members had not received sufficient information to formulate a position on the establishment of the new company.