ERC confronts the government for granting solar and wind power plant permits without environmental control

ERC wants to put an end to the elimination of environmental controls that the Government has just regulated in the granting of permits for the implementation of solar and wind power plants. It considers that the PSOE has crossed a line that defies environmentalism itself and has opened another focus of clash with the socialists.

The petition has been taken up in the Congress of Deputies in the form of a non-legislative proposal. And, there, the separatists point out that on December 27 the Government approved in the Council of Ministers the Royal Decree-Law 20/2022. This decree is aimed at implementing social and economic measures in response to the social and economic crisis "that citizens are suffering, as well as the extension of the social shield measures in force to date". But this Royal Decree-Law also contained two articles that all the groups that promoted this initiative consider"negative and contrary to the objectives of ecological and energy transition that should guide all the actions of governments and administrations, objectives included in the roadmap that represent the Law of Ecological Transition and the steps towards energy transition that, although still totally insufficient, draw the way to go. Articles 22 and 23 of this RD, as well as Articles 6 and 7 of Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, go against this roadmap," says ERC.

For the separatists, "these articles allow that large renewable energy projects do not need the evaluations and guarantees that until now offered the environmental assessment procedures and authorizations based on these ecological requirements. Moreover, from ERC point out that "the introduction of these new articles will prevent associations, groups and even local administrations, can submit allegations to these projects, thus denying the possibility that the affected areas and their citizens and citizens, may have tools to protect their environments and models of life."

The separatists state that "sharing the need to promote, accelerate and expand the energy transition through a clear commitment to renewable sources, this must be done from a fair perspective with citizens, respectful of the natural environment and democratic, preventing this transition to be used as a business tool by large companies with their backs to, once again, citizens and community".

And, with that argument, ERC argues that "it is possible to accelerate the ecological transition, renewable sources, without having to sacrifice" environmental protection.

Having said all this, ERC takes the opportunity to make a demand that opens a new flank in the Government. And, moreover, in one of the areas in which the PSOE claims to be the apostle of environmentalism. Because it demands "the Government of Spain to repeal Articles 22 and 23 of Royal Decree-Law 20/2022, of December 27, as well as Articles 6 and 7 of Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, of March 29, for the recovery of the previous regulations and legislation in force regarding the procedures and conditions for the authorization, development and implementation of large renewable projects".