López Miras maintains that the Council “agrees” with the regional government

President Fernando López Miras considered that the opinion of the Council of State “supports the Region of Murcia, because it assumes and includes the allegations presented” by his Government. He pointed out from Fitur that the planned cut of the Tagus-Segura “is not based on scientific criteria and the opinion invites the definition of ecological flows to be based on a specific methodology and technical criteria, and that this process has been not very transparent and opaque », he pointed out.

He considered that “if Pedro Sánchez and his ministers decide next week to cut the Transfer, “it will be a political and sectarian issue. The Council of State is telling the Government of Spain that it has not been very transparent when establishing the transfer cut, that it is not using a technical and objective methodology, that the Tagus and Segura basin plans are incompatible and inconsistent and that the ecological flows in the Alto Tajo have to be compatible with the Diversion », he added.

For the regional government, the ruling “acknowledges that there have been substantial modifications to the documents during the information and processing process, without these modifications having been known and, therefore, they have not been informed by the National Water Council nor is there any justifying reasons for said changes.

Considers that the key points of the opinion are based on the lack of clarity and transparency in the National Water Council; in doubts about the coordination of plans; that the text proposed by the minister does not guarantee the operation of the Tajo-Segura Transfer; in the absence of technical criteria to set ecological flows; and in which the Government of the nation must consider the lack of coordination of the plans. She emphasizes that the debate and vote in the National Water Council, which took place at the end of November, “did not take place with the clarity and transparency with which they should have taken place.”

The Government offers “desalination”

The Minister for Territorial Policy and Government spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, declared that the central executive is “very committed to guaranteeing water in all territories” and “has worked to make the general interest compatible for all of them”, following the decision of the Council of State to endorse the twelve basin plans, but asking for better coordination in the Tajo-Segura transfer. To questions from the media in Tomelloso, Rodríguez has highlighted the effort of the central executive, “knowing that the matter is of special sensitivity” and the impact it has on the economy. She said that the opinion of the Council of State will go through the Council of Ministers “in the near future as is mandatory.” He added that the Government “is also thinking about the Segura basin”, with important investments already planned, which come from the General State Budget, from the ‘Next Generation’ funds, making up a “great investment in hydraulic policy”.

“We guarantee the ecological flows necessary for the flora and fauna of the rivers, thinking of sectors such as agriculture, with special drought decrees, or thinking of the Levant, with desalination infrastructures,” he said.

The President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, defended that the Government must attend to the “reasons” put forward by the Council of State in its opinion, since he considers that the report includes the need to seek “a meeting point between the ecological flow and the Transfer». For the president of the Consell, the Government cannot be equidistant with the needs of one territory and another: we all have objective demands”, he pointed out to questions from journalists, after remarking that the Consell has not “officially” received the report. In the Consell environment, which have a copy of the opinion, they consider that the Council of State “gives a review” to the Ministry.

In any case, the also leader of the PSPV maintained that the opinion is “a good start to the journey.” While waiting to study it, he reiterated that the Consell is in favor of negotiation, agreement and dialogue to achieve “water forever”. He indicated that these conclusions should lead the Ministry to reflect deeply on such an important and sensitive issue for agriculture. He reiterated his willingness to dialogue and negotiate: “We keep our hand outstretched.”

Mazón: “Smile at the executioner”

The president of the PPCV and the Alicante Provincial Council, Carlos Mazón, charged Ximo Puig for the decision of the Council of State not to consider null and void the hydrological plans that include cutting the Tagus-Segura and warned that he is already “discredited” to speak of dialogue or “water forever” regarding the future of the Transfer.

“Stop cheating: you don’t smile at the executioner, you stand in front of him,” he said. He advanced that the legal services of the Provincial Council are studying “possible legal actions” on the unanimous opinion that the Council of State sent on Thursday, before the hydrological plans are approved by the Council of Ministers.

Mazón affirmed that there is “legal uncertainty” about the actions to be developed, but guaranteed that they will deploy “all legal, social, legal and social weapons”, without wanting to “politicize” water and “always at the service of farmers.” “We’re going to go all the way.” In his opinion, the decision of the advisory body has finished discrediting Puig, who “has run out of excuses because he sold a great agreement in the National Water Council that was neither great nor agreed.” “I never expected this silence from the Generalitat,” he asserted.