The Ministry of Ecological Transition, led by socialist Teresa Ribera, has yet to reply to the letter sent by the Balearic government last November demanding that it comply with the stipulations of the Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil regarding the financing of waste transport between the islands of Ibiza and Formentera and between the latter and the mainland. This was denounced Tuesday by the Balearic councillor for enterprise, employment and energy, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, in response to a question posed in Parliament on this issue by Llorenç Córdoba, a regional deputy and president of the Formentera council.
Sáenz de San Pedro explained that the government has received no response to this letter or to "the requests for meetings" it has made with the ministry to address the issue. The councillor also pointed out that "the financing of maritime waste transport must be a reality" based on the provisions of the Constitution itself, which states in article 138.1 that the State must ensure "the establishment of an adequate and fair economic balance between the different parts of the Spanish territory, taking into account the circumstances of the insular situation". However, in the case of Formentera, which suffers from triple insularity, this is not being fulfilled.
Sáenz de San Pedro responded to a question posed by Llorenç Córdoba, who pointed out that the financing of waste transport in the case of Formentera is covered by the third additional provision of the state's Waste and Contaminated Soil Act. This provision, he explained, was agreed to in the Senate by several political forces, including the PP and PSOE, but was subsequently overturned by the Socialists and Unidas Podemos. However, the provision was finally approved and as such appears in the text published in the BOE. Córdoba has therefore demanded that the central government "make this effective". The president and deputy, moreover, recalled that the transport of this waste is now assumed by the Consell, which allocates more than 1 million euros annually for this purpose.
Sáenz de San Pedro added in his second response that, in addition to this law, the financing of maritime waste transport can also be included in the Special Regime for the Balearic Islands, which provides for "a compensation mechanism based on the tonnage of waste transported" and which is not being complied with either. For this reason, in addition to "continuing to demand" that the government comply with this obligation, the government will raise this issue at the next bilateral commission with the state.
Llorenç Córdoba, on the other hand, posed this question to the Govern, making it clear that obtaining this funding is an obligation of Marga Prohens' government in accordance with the agreement reached with the island president so that he would vote in favour of the PP in the investiture session. Córdoba explained that this objective is point 12 of the agreement signed with the Popular Party, which states that the government is committed to carrying out the infrastructures contemplated in the island's Waste Master Plan for the treatment and reuse of waste. And, furthermore, that it would demand that the central government finance the maritime transport of this waste. Sáenz de San Pedro explained that this funding was already provided by the Government between 2002 and 2011, with the State contributing 10 million euros out of a total cost of just over 33 million.