Greek Parliament Approves Water Management Reform Amid Opposition Claims of “Water Privatization”
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Πηγή Φωτογραφίας: eurokinissi//Greek Parliament Approves Water Management Reform Amid Opposition Claims of “Water Privatization”
Parliament Approves the Reform
The Hellenic Parliament has approved the government’s water management reform, adopting the Ministry of Environment and Energy’s bill expanding the responsibilities of EYDAP (Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company) and EYATH (Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewerage Company).
The legislation passed with 157 votes in favor and 131 against, with 288 Members of Parliament participating in the vote.
The bill has generated significant political debate, with environmental organizations and opposition parties expressing concerns over its long-term implications for the governance of public water services.
Government: “A Necessary Reform for Water Security”
Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou defended the legislation, arguing that it introduces a comprehensive national framework for water management rather than any form of privatization.
“Anyone who opposes this reform is effectively supporting the continuation of fragmentation and poor management of Greece’s water resources.”
Papastavrou stressed that Greece faces increasingly severe climate-related pressures, citing international indicators showing the country ranks among those at highest risk of water scarcity and water stress within the European Union.
According to the government, the reform seeks to improve coordination, strengthen infrastructure planning, and enhance the sustainable management of water resources in response to climate change.
PASOK: “This Opens the Door to the Commercialization of Water”
PASOK strongly opposed the bill, arguing that it raises concerns over the future protection of water as a public good.
MP Manolis Christodoulakis questioned whether the government would support PASOK’s proposal to constitutionally guarantee the public and social character of water as part of the ongoing constitutional revision process.
“If the government truly believes water is a public and social good, will it support constitutional protection? Can it guarantee that water tariffs will not increase?”
The party maintains that water should receive explicit constitutional safeguards to prevent future commercialization.
A Broader Political Debate
The legislation has become one of the most politically sensitive environmental reforms of the current parliamentary session.
While the government insists the bill does not privatize water utilities but instead modernizes governance and addresses the growing challenges posed by climate change, opposition parties argue that the restructuring could gradually facilitate greater market involvement in water services.
Several environmental organizations have also voiced concerns and are expected to continue challenging aspects of the reform.
The approval of the bill highlights a broader European policy debate over how public water resources should be governed in an era of climate change and increasing water scarcity. Governments across Europe are under growing pressure to modernize aging infrastructure, improve efficiency, and strengthen water resilience, while ensuring universal access to affordable water services.
In Greece, the political dispute centers on whether institutional restructuring enhances public management or creates conditions for future commercialization. The government frames the legislation as an administrative and environmental reform designed to improve coordination and long-term sustainability. PASOK and other opposition parties argue that stronger constitutional guarantees are needed to ensure that water remains firmly protected as a public good.
The political debate is expected to continue both in Parliament and before Greece’s Council of State (Supreme Administrative Court), where legal challenges to the legislation are anticipated.
Source: pagenews.gr
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