The commission draws 32 conclusions that need to be taken into account for the Balearics, the ministry's plan being a comprehensive one for the whole of Spain. One of the points concerns posidonia sea grass, the commission stressing that posidonia is a carbon dioxide sink in the same way that forests and agricultural land are. The ministry's plan does not at present cover posidonia or wetlands, which the commission also highlights.
Antoni Alorda, the commission's president, says that posidonia is a "submerged forest and must be recognised as such". He goes on: "We are asking for specific measures for its protection as well as for wetlands and riverside woods. In theory, the European Union is going to dedicate significant investment to these national plans as it considers them to be strategic. While it is the case that the coronavirus crisis may disrupt this, the pandemic should not mean an abandonment of the fight against climate change and of the promotion of renewable energies."
Forest mass and posidonia meadows absorb 66% (5.6 million tonnes) of carbon dioxide produced in the Balearics, the posidonia being responsible for 600,000 tonnes. Alorda adds that the national plan "should be more specific in its guidelines".
The EU has been urging Spain to produce the plan so that it can be given complete approval by the end of this year.
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