The new Circular Economy law that will be approved today in Les Corts Valencianes will not hinder agricultural burning, an issue that worried (and a lot) Valencian farmers. The parliamentary groups have reached an agreement to amend the regulations in a way that will avoid the prohibition of this type of practice that will be allowed, yes, in a controlled and planned way.
The three parties that make up the Botànic reached an understanding with Ciudadanos to introduce changes in the legislation that will be voted on today and presented a compromise amendment in which article 47 is modified in such a way that it is left in the hands of the competent ministry in matters of environment and agriculture, regulate the "criteria and circumstances" that must be "applied and specified in the plans for agricultural burning, municipal ordinances and other management instruments in this area".
This possibility was not included in the regional regulations after the state law in its articles sentenced "in general, the burning of vegetable waste generated in the agricultural or forestry environment is not allowed." A measure that caused the complaint of the agricultural sector.
Given this circumstance, the Botànic parties -in the hands of deputies David Calvo (PSPV), Graciela Ferrer (Compromís) and Beatriz Gascó (Unides Podem)- have been attentive and have taken advantage of the approval of an amendment in Congress that eliminates this controversial point of the state law to introduce -taking advantage of the Citizens amendment package- an article that allows adapting to how the state law will be when the legislative change (which is now in the Senate) is ratified and enters into force.
An important agreement, the negotiators explained to La Vanguardia, to which the popular Valencians who have always been opposed to prohibiting agricultural burning will join.
However, the same sources explained, these practices will have to be planned and controlled since the long-term objective is to reduce their environmental impact and opt for other alternatives.
In fact, in another of the articles modified in the transactional it is emphasized that "the departments responsible for waste and agriculture have to promote the development of agrocomposting projects for agricultural waste in collaboration with entities and social agents".
After the agreement, Ciudadanos released a statement in which they congratulated themselves for having introduced four new articles in the bill for the promotion of the circular economy to improve the management of waste treatment in different areas, in addition to perfecting other parts of the articulated through a compromise amendment.
However, his deputy Eduardo del Pozo explained that, despite achieving these advances and others related to agricultural burning, "the liberal formation will not support this tripartite law due to its obvious deficiencies and numerous defects."
