Oswaldo Betancort, president of the Lanzarote Water Consortium, has welcomed a recent court ruling that favours the consortium in its ongoing dispute with Canal de Isabel II over water supply management. The court rejected Canal de Isabel II’s request for precautionary measures that would force the consortium to assume contracts from the previous service provider and grant access to documentation and facilities.
In a ruling dated 21 October, the judge from the Administrative Court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria dismissed two requests made by Canal de Isabel II. The company sought to have the consortium take on all rights and obligations linked to contracts that the previous concessionaire, Canal Gestión Lanzarote, had with suppliers.
The judge stated that imposing these obligations as temporary measures was not appropriate while the judicial review is pending. This ruling does not resolve the core issues of the dispute but prevents the consortium from having to immediately assume all private contracts of the previous operator.
Betancort described the ruling as a positive development. He stated, “This decision allows the service management to continue without the consortium being compelled to adopt all the private contracts automatically. We will continue to defend the interests of Lanzarote and La Graciosa while improving the service with our technical and legal support.”
The judge noted that determining any legal obligation to assume the contracts should be assessed separately and could not be decided through this precautionary procedure. She also mentioned that any financial harm claimed by Canal de Isabel II might be rectified by a future favourable judgement.
Furthermore, the court stipulated that Canal de Isabel II could request access to documentation and facilities during the contract liquidation process, but this would not be granted under the current precautionary measures.
This follows a ruling from 19 October, which similarly denied the suspension of the seizure of eight million euros related to the contract guarantee. These decisions allow the consortium to carry on with the agreements in question while legal proceedings continue.
Since taking over management of the entire water cycle on 2 June, the Lanzarote Water Consortium has ensured a seamless service and begun its own procurement processes to address necessary requirements. Domingo Cejas, vice president of the consortium, emphasized the ongoing commitment to ensuring essential services for residents, asserting, “Our priority is to guarantee supply, sanitation, and treatment, while we organise necessary contracts and protect public resources.”
The court ruling did not impose costs on either party and can be appealed within fifteen days of notification.
