Civil Society and the EU Concession Directive: David Beats Goliath, Using a Few Tricks

Abstract

In September 2013, more than 1.8 million signatures were submitted to EU governments under the first successful European Citizens’ Initiative. Under the slogan “Right2Water”, its promoters accused the European Commission of trying to force water privatization through the backdoor. The anger had been provoked by a “Concession Directive” prepared under the auspices of EU Competition Commissioner Michel Barnier. Barnier had pushed the Directive, despite the European Parliament having declared in 2010 that it was not necessary. What was Barnier up to? Being a conservative politician from France, Barnier certainly fit the profile of the “usual suspect” when it came to the promotion of water privatization – after all, the French water companies had been the keenest players in global water privatization.