Abbanoa has returned to the Region the state aid granted in 2013: 231 million euros, which was paid electronically this morning via a "PagoPa" payment slip in the presence of President Giuseppe Sardu, CFO Antonio Mulas, and General Manager Stefano Sebastio.

The restitution, which is due, modifies the corporate structure and establishes the public management model as a possible solution for Sardinia's water future. This was clearly expressed by the regional administration, particularly President Alessandra Todde, along with the Regional Government Body (Egas) and the member municipalities at the assemblies of December 2025 and April 2026.

Indeed, the municipalities will be the key players in managing the service: with the repayment of the State Aid, Abbanoa's corporate structure will also undergo a complete overhaul: the 342 shareholder municipalities will collectively own approximately 86 percent of the share capital, compared to the current share of just under 30%. Furthermore, in recent months, no municipality has exercised its right of withdrawal from Abbanoa. This option was contemplated in the share redistribution process, which would also have allowed the existing shares to be cashed in. At the same time, no creditor has objected to the reduction in share capital. Indeed, the most important of these, the European Investment Bank, has had no objection, nor has the European Commission.

The repayment effectively followed strict European rules regarding the repayment of state aid and occurred without any impact on Abbanoa's operations, without any rate increases, and without any restrictions on investments in infrastructure improvements. "We worked tirelessly to achieve this result," Sardu explains, "thanks also to the commitment of our advisors, starting with Studio BonelliErede. Our company is now fully qualified not only to manage the service until 2028, but also to request an extension of the concession term until 2034. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to keep water management firmly in public hands in Sardinia, as is the case throughout Europe."

(Unioneonline)

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