We've moved to a new site!

Join us at publicservices.international - for all the latest news, resources and struggles from around the world.

We are no longer updating world-psi.org and it will be progressively phased out: all content will be migrated to the new site and old links will redirect eventually.

  1. Home
  2. Media
  3. All News
  4. Remunicipalisation: A new trend in Europe

Remunicipalisation: A new trend in Europe

13 August 2012
Men working in the street
Privatisation, contracting out and outsourcing have been the dominant trends in public services. Now there is increasing evidence of trends in the opposite direction, according to a report from EPSU.

In a number of European countries, including Germany, France and the UK, municipalities are continuing to move towards remunicipalisation rather than privatisation, according to the EPSU-report "Re-municipalising municipal services in Europe".

Most of the remunicipalisations have taken place when an existing contract or concession with a private company has expired. The key reasons for the remunicipalisations are failures and problems with private sector performance.

And - contrary to what has been claimed - the remunicipalisations have reduced the costs. Municipalities in the UK, Germany and Finland all say that efficiency and cost issues are the most important factors for taking the services back.

Read the full EPSU-report "Re-municipalising municipal services in Europe".

 

Also see