The president of the Board of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, announced yesterday that next week he will meet with the European Commissioner for the Environment, to study the situation of the Doñana National Park and his controversial law proposal that opens the door to the legalization of irrigation in the area and the consequent damage to Europe's largest wetland.
"What I will say in Brussels, in a meeting with the European commissioner next week, is that he communicates to us exactly what he does not agree with, in order to study it and modify it", assured Moreno, which now alleges that it is "a bill" and that, "therefore, it is susceptible to modifications and changes".
The Andalusian leader explained that they are open to any alternative, whether it comes from the Spanish Government or the European Commission. "Obviously we are always looking for a point of agreement", he pointed out in a conciliatory tone after the European warnings. "It is a pity that the Government of the nation has never wanted, as the minister herself has stated, to sit around a table to talk about a problem, which exists and is a reality", he criticized.
These statements come barely nine days after the beginning of the processing of this PP and Vox bill, after repeated letters and warnings from the European Commission that the text "could contravene Community environmental legislation" and the fact that Spain would face sanctions if it does not immediately comply with the 2021 ruling on the protection of wetlands in this national and natural park.
Moreno's statements are the first in which the Andalusian Board opens the door for the first time to rectify the bill that has been questioned by the Central Executive and also the scientific community. The new position of the Andalusian Government was produced on the same day that it responded with an official letter to the European Commission in which it is assured that the regulation "does not pose any threat to compliance with the judgment" of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) "nor for the conservation of the natural space". In this sense, he points out that "the Doñana aquifer is neither touched nor affected".
In addition, in this letter, the Board alleges that the proposed law "is not an initiative of the Andalusian Government, but of the Parliament itself, a reflection of the necessary division of powers that must inspire every democratic system", despite the fact that the PP has an absolute majority in the Chamber and can push forward any initiative without the support of any other party.
At next week's meeting with the European Commissioner, the Environment Minister, Ramón Fernandez-Pacheco, will attend, and the Board plans to "tell Brussels" to "communicate to us, of the 25 pages of this project of law, which is right now in the Parliament of Andalusia, exactly what he does not agree with, in order to study it and modify it", he assured.
The President of the Board also attacked the Central Government for having used the situation of the irrigators in an electoral key when the municipal elections are a few days away. "Why does Mr. Pedro Sánchez spend two hours coming to Doñana, of course with Falcon and in an all-terrain caravan to take an election photo in Doñana?", he asked. In addition, he urged him, if he wants to help solve the matter, to put the resources: "This is very simple. Do we want more water in Doñana? More water can be brought to Doñana through surface transfers. Why don't they do these works that are the responsibility of the State?", he asked.
