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As Veolia is a multinational with operations in many countries, this is an international campaign.

Excluding Veolia from public contracts

Under European Community regulations a company can be excluded from bidding for a public contract, or being awarded one, on the grounds of grave misconduct.  The main thrust of the Derail Veolia campaign has been to demand that public authorities (mostly city or district councils and universities), exercise this discretion in respect of Veolia companies on the grounds that aiding and abetting war crimes amounts to grave misconduct.  The British version of the European Directive is the Public Contract Regulations (2006).  Section 23(4)(e) covers exclusion for grave misconduct.

Ask your local council (or other public authority) what contracts it has with Veolia and when they terminate.  You can be sure that Veolia will try and bid for the replacement contract.  Start your campaign with the council two years or more before termination as some councils award replacement contracts quite early, and your campaign will need time to have effect.   Even if your council has no contract with Veolia, or only a long term one, you can ask for Veolia to be excluded from all future contracts until its gives up support for Israel’s illegal settlements.

Campaign methods include letter writing, lobbying council members, presentations/delegations at council meetings, involving the media, petitions, demonstrations, etc.   http://www.dumpveolia.org.uk/activists-toolkit/ includes a model motion for councillors to submit for adoption by their Local Authority and a model letter asking public authorities to exclude Veolia from contracts. www.dumpveolia.org.uk  has more useful material, including contracts that Veolia might bid for.

Asking  companies using Veolia’s services to switch contracts to another service provider

These contracts are usually with Veolia Environmental Services for waste collection or management.  Businesses and shops using Veolia can be identified by the Veolia Environmental Services (may also be marked Onyx or Cleanaway) rubbish skips in their yards.  Some national or regional businesses with many local establishments may have one central contract with Veolia.  Public contract regulations will not apply, but companies need to consider the effect on their reputation of doing business with a company like Veolia, complicit in war crimes.

Asking  churches, mosques and other places of worship using Veolia Environmental Services for refuse collection to switch to another provider

These contracts are likely to be local ones, so this is a way local congregations can take action.  Discussion of the issue will be a good opportunity to explain the whole Israel/Palestine conflict and BDS campaign.  Christian denominations and supervisory bodies of other faiths can be contacted centrally too and asked to persuade their places of worship to take action.

Divest from Veolia

Managers of pension funds, church funds and ethical investment funds can be asked not to invest in Veolia Environnement, the parent company.  Ethical investment advisory groups associated with such funds can also be contacted.  Challenge the Church of England to divest from Veolia Environnement!

Writing  to the Chairpersons and Chief  Executive Officers of the Veolia Companies

Veolia Environmental Services for waste collection and management; Veolia Transport for bus and coach services (and in other countries metro and light rail transit services too).  Veloway is Veolia Transport’s subsidiary for city cycle hire schemes.

Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition and other sponsorship

Veolia Environnement sponsored the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition and Exhibition at the Natural History Museum in 2009, 2010, 2011and 2012.  Whilst Veolia is not sponsoring the 2013 competition, the 2012 exhibition, on tour in 2013, is still sponsored by Veolia.  Well supported demonstrations were held at the NHM in 2010, 2011and 2012.  The exhibition on tour presents an opportunity at various locations to protest against Veolia’s support for Israel’s illegal settlements and against the choice of a company complicit in war crimes as a sponsor.  See http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/tourUK.do?city=All&x=8&y=6 for the tour locations.

The French Court Case

This was one of the earliest initiatives.  Veolia Environnement (and Alstom, which as a member of the City Pass consortium has built the tramcars for the Jerusalem light rail transit) was taken to court by the French NGO AFPS and the PLO.  AFPS lost the case and the subsequent appeal, but the Appeal Court did confirm that the PLO has the legal standing to make claims against companies allegedly complicit in Israel’s violations of international law.  The Appeal Court did not rule on the legality of the Jerusalem light rail transit.  See http://www.dumpveolia.org.uk/2013/05/07/french-courts-ruling-is-like-the-curates-egg/ for an expert critique of the Appeal Court ruling .