Brussels, 05/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - During her meeting this week with European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, Spanish Environment Minister Cristina Narbona confirmed Spain's intention to withdraw redirection of the river Ebre from the national hydrological plan. She nonetheless hopes to keep the EUR 1.2 billion in aid from Structural Funds that the Commission had already approved for the plan.
Ms Narbona said she had communicated the government's intention to modify the hydrological plan concerning rerouting of the Ebre and to present new projects. She spoke of alternatives based above all on water treatment and desalination of sea water. Rerouting the river has not, moreover, been definitely abandoned. It could be a "last resort" if the project proves necessary to supply water to the south of the country. Ms Narbona hopes to convince the regions of Murcia and Valencia, stressing that "rerouting would have cost around 90 euro cents per cubic metre of water", whereas alternatives would only cost 30 cents.
Cristina Narbona hopes the alternative project will remain in the "same level of investment" and will benefit from the same amount of Community aid. Margot Wallström "welcomed the government's overall direction on this subject. It is a positive thing as it will not only take into account the cost/profit analysis but also the environmental and ecological impact of the plan as well as the social consequences". She did not, however, take a stance on the Commission's upcoming decision. "We must wait. It is now up to the government to present new projects and to ask for funding to be analysed", she said.