"Greatest however is water" [Ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ] (Pindar, Olymp. 1, 1): Privatization of the Athens Water Supply
and Sewerage Company S.A.
Supreme Administrative Court Judgment 1906/2014
Nikolaos Vagionakis / Christina Tzemou
Assistant Judges, Greek Supreme Administrative Court (Council of State)
The Greek Supreme Administrative Court (decision 1906/2014 in plenum) quashed a decision of transferring 34,033% of the share capital of the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company S.A. (EYDAP), held by the State, to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF - TAIPED), a company intended to manage the immobile property of the State. The Court ruled that the alienation of the Greek State from the majority of the share capital of EYDAP, whose preservation is necessary so as to avoid the transformation of this public enterprise into a private one, renders the continuity of the supply of affordable and high quality services on behalf of the enterprise uncertain. Therefore, the Court held that the aforementioned transfer infringes Articles 5 par. 5 and 21 par. 3 of the Hellenic Constitution, which guarantee the individual right to health and require the attention of the State for public health, accordingly.
