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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.

The Italian Constitutional Court Blocks the Privatization of Water

Big victory for the movements, the Constitutional Court blocks the privatization of water and local public services.

Today, 20th July, the Constitutional Court has given back the voice of the Italian citizens and the democracy of our country.

It does so by declaring unconstitutional, therefore inadmissible, Article 4 of the Decree Law 138 of August 13, 2011, by which, the Berlusconi government, stomped on the referendum result and re-introduced the privatization of local public services. This ruling also blocks all subsequent amendments, including those of the Monti government.

2012 Alternative World Water Forum Declaration is Published

Over 150 organizations (trade unions, water-users’, environmental, humanitarian and altermondialist associations, NGOs from thirty different countries and international networks), in addition to hundreds of people, have already signed the declaration of the participants issued at the conclusion of the Alternative World Water Forum. Please share its ideas, make the declaration widely known, sign it and get others to sign it, so that the current in favour of water as a commons can become overpoweringly strong!

Agreement reached to sell Veolia’s regulated water business in the UK

First significant step of the €5 billion asset divestment program before end 2013
Net debt reduction of € 1.450bn

Paris, 28 June 2012. Today, Veolia Environnement’s wholly owned subsidiary, Veolia Water UK PLC, has agreed to sell the UK regulated water activities of Veolia Environnement to Rift Acquisitions Limited(a) for a total transaction value of £1,236 million(b).

Following completion of this transaction, Veolia Environnement’s net debt will be reduced by around £1,165million(c) (€1,450(d)million) as a consequence of the sale. Veolia Environnement will retain, in addition to its non regulated water business, an interest in the UK regulated water business through Veolia Water UK’s retained 10% equity interest in the divested business for a period of at least 5 years.

Campaign started in 6 cities in Germany

Ver.di, the German public service trade union has officially started the campaign ‘Wasser ist ein Menschenrecht’ in Leipzig. Over 130 trade unionists and members of supporting organisation joined the fountain event on 21 June and collected signatures. In Germany the campaign is carried out by a coalition of groups that in the past already campaigned for public control over water and good, safe and affordable water services for all. In five other cities people promoted the campaign and collected signatures: Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Augsburg and Munich. The German groups have set a national target of 150.000 signatures, this way providing for 15% of the total number of signatures needed in Europe!

Arrest of Marco Arana

Marco Arana, the leader of the movement against CONGA (a giant mining project which is threatening to drain the lakes supplying groundwater in the region of Cajamarca) was arrested on 4th July.

The “CONGA no Va” movement was presented in a “Right to Water” workshop session at FAME (Françoise Chambeu) and in a “Water and Extractivism” workshop (Raquel Neyra).

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