The Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris rejected the claim of the Spanish company Aqvalia and its Montenegrin subsidiary Aqualia Montenegro in a long-standing dispute against the Municipality of Pljevlja and the local company Vodovod regarding the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Židovići.
The Office of the Mayor of Pljevlja, Dario Vranes, announced that the court issued the final arbitration decision in favor of the Municipality of Pljevlja and Vodovod on March 24th.
The companies that were engaged in the construction of the plant in Židovići asked the court to oblige the Municipality of Pljevlja and the local company Vodovod to pay them 1.378.209 euros, increased by the agreed legal interest.
"In a multi-year dispute that was conducted before an international arbitration court between the Spanish company Aqualia and its subsidiary in Montenegro Aqualia Montenegro as the plaintiff on the one hand and the Municipality of Pljevlja and DOO Vodovod as the defendant on the other, on 24. 3.2025. the Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris issued a final arbitration award in favor of the Municipality of Pljevlja and DOO Vodovod. Specifically, the arbitration tribunal, after the arbitration proceedings, decided to reject the request of the Spanish and Montenegrin companies Aqualia to oblige the Municipality of Pljevlja DOO Vodovod to pay the total amount of 1 euros increased by the agreed legal interest. On the other hand, the arbitration tribunal obliged the Municipality of Pljevlja and DOO Vodovod to pay Aqualia 378 euros in respect of the amount that Vodovod and the Municipality of Pljevlja withheld from the agreed price during the work performed until the final resolution of the dispute. With regard to the costs of the arbitration proceedings, both Aqualias "obliged to bear the cost of the international arbitration institution in the amount of 209 US dollars. In addition, both Aqualias are obliged to pay the Municipality and the Water Company the amount of 113 euros in legal fees and other costs of the court proceedings," the statement from the Office of the Mayor of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, states.
The statement added that no appeal is allowed against the arbitration decision.
"Since no appeal is allowed against the arbitration decision, the long-standing dispute regarding the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Pljevlja has been concluded to the satisfaction of the representatives of the Municipality of Pljevlja, DOO Vodovoda, but also of all residents of the Municipality of Pljevlja as an indicator of quality and consistent work in the preparation, implementation and management of projects of public interest. The Municipality of Pljevlja was represented in this long-standing procedure by the law firm JPM & Partners from Belgrade and Podgorica," the statement from the Office of the Mayor of Pljevlja concludes.
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