The president of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, and the head of the Spanish centre-right delegation to the European Parliament, Dolors Montserrat, on Wednesday, accused EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius of “campaigning” for the socialist-led Spanish government due to their strong position against the Andalusian bill for the Doñana Park.
“I have to be very clear: we see the Commissioner wearing a red T-shirt to campaign for Sánchez and not presenting himself as someone who is looking for solutions at this level,”Weber told the press after a meeting between Montserrat and Juan Ignacio Zoido MEP with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius.
The National Park of Doñana, in the southern region of Andalucia, is a natural reserve characterised by its wetlands, considered one of the most critical biodiversity hotspots in Spain and in Europe – also protected under EU law.
The parliament of Andalucia, with the support of far-right Vox (ECR) and centre-right Partido Popular (EPP), approved on 12 April the urgent processing of a new law that would expand the irrigable land around the national reserve.
The new law would allow for the continued depletion of Doñana’s groundwaters, already under strain due to an unprecedented drought in the region, undermining the future survival of the park and its species, experts say.
The approval of the law to parliamentary review has faced heavy backlash from Spain´s central government, with Sánchez bringing the case to the Constitutional Court and assuring that “Doñana will not be touched”, El País reported.
EU socialists, Commission up in arms to protect natural reserve in Andalucía
The parliament of Andalucia, with the support of far-right Vox (ECR) and centre-right Partido Popular (EPP), approved on Wednesday (12 April) the urgent processing of a new law that would expand the irrigable land around the national reserve.
Ahead of regional elections, the site has become the epicentre of a clash between local fruit producers, environmentalists, and national and European authorities.
Weber described as “unacceptable” the commissioner’s behaviour, who, last Monday, in a meeting with the Andalusian government in Brussels attacked the draft law on irrigation in Doñana.
He said it goes against the obligation to protect the Natural Park and “could degrade the wetland”.
EU Commission concern about Doñana natural reserve 'very high'
Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius met with Spain’s third deputy prime minister Teresa Ribera to discuss the situation in the Spanish National Park of Doñana and the controversial proposed law to regularise illegal irrigation systems.
In an unusual tone, Weber considered that the European Commission, particularly the Lithuanian commissioner, is demonstrating “party political behaviour” in managing the situation in Doñana.
The Bavarian politician said Sinkevicius should “try to contribute to solutions” and be “a compromise seeker”, but his behaviour so far “is not helping”.
Timmermans is a wronglso in the spotlight
Dolors Montserrat, head of Partido Popular (EPP) in the EU House, said they had asked the Commissioner and the European Commission as a whole “not to be used by any party, in this case, the Spanish Socialist Party” amid an election campaign.
“We are in the middle of the municipal and regional election campaign, and therefore, (we ask) that they [Commission] refrain from partisan communications”, Montserrat noted.
She also criticised the Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the climate portfolio, the Social Democrat Frans Timmermans, for not allowing them to meet on the situation in Doñana, despite requesting it on the same day as the Environment Commissioner.
She also stressed that the Commission has told them that the body that has to enforce the European ruling on Doñana must be the Spanish government and asked the ministry headed by Vice-President Teresa Ribera to sit down with the Andalusian regional government to find a solution.
At a meeting last week, the European Commission told Andalusian officials that “there is strong evidence that intensive agriculture and nearby tourist resorts were linked to the drying up/reduction of ponds throughout Doñana, demonstrating that current levels of groundwater exploitation are unsustainable and require urgent measures to control abstractions”.
By Laura Zornoza (EFE/Brussels)
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Source: euractiv.com
