SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 10th April (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Parliament of the Canary Islands greenlit the agrarian legislation aimed at fostering La Palma’s economic and social recovery post the volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja. This decree will now undergo processing in the Autonomous Chamber as an urgently processed bill, as proposed by the Canary Islands Government.
Addressing the plenary session, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty of the regional Executive, Narvay Quintero, outlined the prime goals of the decree. These include reinstating the maximum crop area affected by the volcano, aiding a higher number of impacted farmers to resume activities, and providing economic support to affected individuals until they regain their plots.
The document lays down measures for the safe rehabilitation of agricultural estates impacted by the lava flow, along with the structures and facilities within these areas. It empowers each affected party to take the reins in the restoration process, without impeding public aid and direct governmental intervention in infrastructure and service networks.
Furthermore, the legislation allows affected landowners to propose to the agricultural authorities the approval of private land consolidations. It also endorses agricultural cooperatives to propose such actions on behalf of their members. These private consolidations involving three or more affected parties will receive full legal and financial backing (covering 100% of the costs). Additionally, financial compensation is slated for those opting out of agricultural activities, based on the properties’ actual values.
Quintero elucidated that the decree delineates two zones – one for agrarian recovery and another for conditional agrarian revival. The former is further divided into two areas based on the lava flow surface – less than ten meters or exceeding this. The rebuilding in these zones can proceed with a municipal permit, except for the reconstruction of buildings with foundations over 50 centimeters in areas with over 10 meters of flow. In such cases, an expert report from the Island Council is mandated.
The second zone pertains to areas conditionally suitable for agricultural rehabilitation, contingent upon the geological substrate’s stability certification through a geotechnical evaluation by the island authority. “This affirmation comes post the determination of their safety,” he underscored.
“It’s worth noting that this decree identifies a recovery zone covering approximately seven hundred hectares, in contrast to the predecessor’s decrees recognising only 365 hectares of agricultural recovery in a large farm,” Quintero added.
The legislation allows the reinstatement of plots suitable for agricultural refurbishment in the same spot and conditions. It also regulates the rehabilitation of livestock estates, wherein municipal councils are bestowed with permits for various categories of rural lands: agricultural protection, regular common, and landscape protection.
This decree complements the urban and territorial decree endorsed in December, and intersects with the housing decree, the strategic land decree to revive commercial and industrial operations, and the payment scheme. The initial yearly installment comprises €150 million (€50 from the Canary Islands and €100 from the State).
ADDITIONAL RECOVERY INITIATIVES
While addressing the assembly, the minister highlighted the Canaries government’s endeavour to extend the aid under the Canary Islands Agricultural Production Support Program (POSEI) until at least 31st December 2027 for farmers impacted by the volcanic eruption. This support is currently secured by the European Commission until 31st December 2025, at the behest of the current Canaries Executive.
Additionally, Quintero announced that the Council approved up to €10 million in direct aid using autonomous community resources on 8th April to compensate impacted farmers in La Palma for income loss and ash cleanup costs post the eruption.
Furthermore, on 5th April, the Ministry released an Order inviting applications for 2024 subsidies under the Canary Islands Rural Development Program (PDR), aimed at financing rejuvenation efforts for farms in Tazacorte, El Paso, and Los Llanos de Aridane to bring them back to their pre-eruption state. This fund, worth €30 million, is backed by the EU, the Autonomous Community, and the State.
