Water, water everywhere, but no Commission

Date: 21/11/02

By Martin Banks

THE European Commission's refusal to take part in a conference on water privatisation has been branded 'unacceptable'.

The one-day event, organised by the left-wing GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament, was held to discuss water privatisation programmes across the world.

The Commission was invited to give participants an update on relevant recent EU legislation and policy.

But Catherine Day, director-general for the Commission's environment directorate, wrote to the organisers, saying: 'I do not feel it would be appropriate for the Commission to take part in view of our obligation to remain neutral on such questions.'

Her reaction angered the hosts, who pointed out that the Commission had already agreed to take part in another conference, organised by EUREAU, the water industry's representative body in Brussels, yesterday (20 November).

Day describes EUREAU as one of the Commission's 'most effective partners' in notes to be circulated at the event.

MEP Francis Wurtz, president of the GUE/NGL group, claimed that the Commission had refused to take part in his group's debate because GUE/NGL is anti-privatisation.

He said: 'It is unacceptable for the Commission to claim to be neutral. Their role is to develop and implement Community water policy. The Commission officials should be carrying out the same role at both conferences, that is, updating participants on the work it does.

'They should take part in conferences organised by both pro-privatisation organisations like EUREAU and anti-privatisation such as those at our conference.'

The European Commission's refusal to take part in a conference on water privatisation has been branded 'unacceptable'.