Antonio Balmón, executive vice president of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), sent a letter to Veolia yesterday expressing his concern for the possible consequences of the current crisis between Agbar's management team and the leadership of the French multinational that owns this company that manages municipal water service concessions. This tense situation is linked to the execution of investments against the drought of the subsidiary Aigües de Barcelona, as published by La Vanguardia.
In the letter, Balmón asks Antoine Frérot, chairman of the board of Veolia, "for a meeting, with the person or people you think is most appropriate, to allow us to overcome this situation", with reference to the differences raised at the summit agbar
The vice-president of the AMB and also mayor of Cornellà points out to the French executive that "I only hope that the Veolia group commits itself to the decisions taken by Aigües de Barcelona, without creating organizational crises that could affect its managers and their professionals, in order to contribute to the fulfillment of their contractual obligations in the management of the water cycle".
These references to managers gain relevance if you consider that the leadership of the Agbar group registered a major change in February, when its executive chairman, Ángel Simón, left his responsibilities after being appointed CEO of Criteria, the holding which controls the investments of the La Caixa group. Simón has only held the position of non-executive chairman of Aigües de Barcelona, in which Criteria has 15%, as does AMB, while Agbar is the majority shareholder, with 70%. This is the society in charge of the investments against the drought included in the Generalitat law of last year.
Shortly after this change, Veolia presented its strategic plan until 2027, which Agbar considers does not include maintaining investments linked to the management of the integral water cycle, the core of its activity.
Balmón's letter highlights "the rapid action that until now has characterized Aigües de Barcelona in the execution of the much-needed works" to improve the water supply network of Barcelona and the more than thirty municipalities in its area metropolitan
The politician reminds the French executive that "the technical services of the AMB believe that it is necessary to urgently implement an extraordinary investment plan for no less than 900 million euros until 2027/2028".
Balmón urges Veolia to "continue with the model of excellence of public-private collaboration initiated under the leadership of Simón and represented by the current management team of Aigües de Barcelona, taking into account, in addition, that in the double position of the AMB as a partner of the mixed company and also as a regulator we cannot be passive".
Sources close to Veolia, for their part, have ruled out that they maintain a conflict with Agbar and claim that the investments against the drought approved by Aigües are proof of this. Likewise, they have expressed the group's strategy to maintain the solidity of its main activities, among which is the management of urban water, the main activity of Agbar and its subsidiary Aigües de Barcelona.
