The Consell Aligns with Murcia and Andalusia, Demands 'Urgent' Meeting with Government for Tajo-Segura Transfer Continuation

The Generalitat, along with the Region of Murcia and Andalusia, have reached an agreement to demand an 'urgent' meeting with the Government and the Ministry of Ecological Transition to discuss the continuation of the Tajo-Segura transfer. In this regard, the three regional governments urge the Central Executive not to approve the new canal operating rules, considering them an 'unsupportive, ideological reform lacking technical rigour'.

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries, Miguel Barrachina, the Minister of the Region of Murcia, Sara Rubira, and the Minister of the Junta de Andalucía, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, jointly denounce the 'imposition of unilateral decisions that severely affect the economy, employment, and the future of thousands of families who depend directly or indirectly on transferred water'.

Barrachina has criticised the 'governing of water from an office in Moncloa without listening to those who produce food for all of Europe'. In this sense, the minister has described the new rules as a 'direct attack on our farmers' and demands 'water justice' and that water not be used 'as a political weapon serving partisan interests'.

The three autonomous communities have reiterated their willingness to dialogue but warn that they will not accept impositions that weaken the agri-food productive fabric or put the supply of millions of citizens at risk. 'These measures are the final blow to the Tajo-Segura transfer and demonstrate a clear intention to restrict the use of an essential resource for the development of our autonomous communities,' Barrachina has denounced.

It should be remembered that the new Government rules toughen the thresholds for authorising transfers. Among the measures contemplated is the increase in requirements to authorise the maximum transfer (60 cubic hectometres), which would only be allowed when the joint stocks in Entrepeñas and Buendía exceed 1,600 cubic hectometres or the annual contributions are at least 1,400 cubic hectometres.

Furthermore, in the case of Level 2, the authorised volume would be progressively reduced to 18 cubic hectometres per month by 2027. Modifications are also foreseen in Level 3, which allowed the transfer of up to 20 cubic hectometres and is now set at 11 cubic hectometres, representing a new obstacle to ensuring supply and irrigation.