• Environment The European Commission, "puzzled" by the possible legalization of strawberries in Doñana

  • Environment UNESCO calls on the Government of Pedro Sánchez to report on possible changes to the irrigation plan in Doñana

The Andalusian Parliament has given the green light this afternoon to the bill that expands the hectares of irrigated land in the area of ​​Doñana, an initiative that has set off the alarms of the European Commission and UNESCO for its impact on the water reserves of the Park National, qualified as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.

The initiative has been approved, as planned, with the votes in favor of the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox.

But the surprise came from the PSOE, which did not vote against it but rather abstained, despite calling the proposal "deceitful" and despite the outright rejection of the project expressed by the Government of Pedro Sánchez through the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation and the Minister for Energy Transition, Teresa Ribera.

The only votes against (17) are those issued by the deputies of Unidas Podemos and Adelante Andalucía, who accuse the Andalusian Government of putting the prestige and future of the National Park and its region at risk.

Several representatives of the farmers of the region and also of the municipalities that will benefit from the expansion of the irrigated hectares have attended the plenary as guests, who have applauded once the result of the vote was known.

The norm, whose processing is beginning now, has been highly criticized by environmental organizations, mainly WWF, which has been working for decades for the conservation of Doñana, and which has threatened to launch a campaign among European consumers against red fruits from the environment of Doñana.

Given that the Andalusian Parliament has given its approval to the processing of the bill by urgent means, the authorization of the new hectares of irrigation (about 1,900, according to the latest calculation made by WWF), could be a fact in a period of two months, that is, within this legislature.

And yet, the enormous noise generated around the initiative had led the Andalusian Government in recent days to somehow cool down the expectations of all the sectors involved.

The Chairman of the Board, Juanma Moreno, explained last Monday in Jaén that the approval would not be imminent since its processing would require at least a year and, therefore, would give time to listen to all the affected parties.

The spokeswoman for United We Can, Inmaculada Nieto, agreed with the socialist deputy Mario Jiménez, in that the proposal is a "hoax" because there is not enough water in the Doñana area to guarantee the irrigation of more hectares of crops without putting the risk, not only to Doñana, but also to the economy of the area.

"Without water, Doñana cannot live, nor can you live in the countryside", synthesized Nieto, who accused the Andalusian Government of generating unnecessary "social tension" in the surrounding municipalities, which have generated expectations "impossible to satisfy ".

For his part, the PP deputy Manuel Andrés González has defended that this new regularization of crops only aims to "put order and legally protect some farmers who unfairly after decades cultivating their land saw their historical rights violated" when the previous plan was approved to the region "without any kind of consensus".

González affirmed that most of the farms that are intended to be regularized are 20, 30 and even 40 kilometers from the National Park.

On the other hand, he insisted that legalization does not give the right to water, but to "have the possibility of accessing it" once the necessary transfers are undertaken to receive transfers from the Chanza reservoir and the Alcolea dam, whose works are currently paralyzed.

For his part, the deputy of Ciudadanos Julio Ruiz has guaranteed that the law will be processed urgently "with all the guarantees", and has defended the economic interests of the farmers and workers of the red fruit, affirming "that the Doñana ecosystem also It's made up of people."

Finally, the Vox deputy Rafael Segovia has described the environmental groups as "the new caciques" and has reminded the left-wing bench of the motto of "the land for those who work it", to regret that they are prevented from farmers in the area of ​​Doñana cultivate their land.

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The PanelThe PP, the party that most benefited from the flight of votes from Citizens in Andalusia

Analysis The increase in pressure from Vox puts Moreno on guard despite the absence of a blockade in Parliament

EnvironmentEcologists place the number of hectares of strawberries that the Board can legalize in Doñana at 1,903

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