Madrid is wasting Insular Council´s time over rubbish

Local rubbish collection rates could be forced up again unless Madrid agrees to release some 2'400 million pesetas of European Union funding destined for the Insular Council of Majorca. Central government came under fire at the start of the week for having failed to consider the wishes and needs of Spain's autonomous regions at the European Summit in Nice and Madrid's refusal to provide the funding destined for a new recycling plant, has left the Insular Council in a precarious position. The 2'400 million pesetas European Union subsidy for the Insular Council of Majorca, has been blocked since February and unless Madrid releases the money before the end of the year, the Insular Council will not know whether to include the project in the outlook for 2001. Should the Insular Council decide to go ahead with the recycling plant with its fingers crossed that Madrid will eventually release the European Union funding due, rubbish collection rates will have to be increased. According to Miguel Angel Borras, who is responsible for rubbish on the Insular Council, the local authority developed the recycling plan on the back of the European Union granting the Majorca waste plan the funding to help cover the cost of part of the project. But now the Insular Council feels “confused” by the contradicting information it is receiving from central government.