Zapatero promises to respect decision. - 20.05.2005

During the recent State of the Nation debate, Spanish President, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapàtero, reassured the Canarian Coalition Party that for the moment, oil prospecting in Canarian waters would be put on hold.

At the end of 2001 the Government of Jose Maria Aznar approved a decree whereby Repsol YPF were granted nine authorizations to search for oil 200 miles off the coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The permits allowed a six year period for work to be carried out but the process was paralysed in 2004 when the decree was found to be lacking a clause to ensure that work would not have a negative impact on the environment.
Zapàtero explained that although the former PP government had made plans to authorise Repsol YPF to search for oil, as far as his party is concerned, a general social consensus and the approval of the Canarian government on the matter would be needed before the project can be given the go ahead.
In response to the declaration, Canarian Coalition leader Paulino Rivero commented that as well as the support of the Canarian Government as a whole, the opinion of each of the seven island Cabildos would need to be taken into consideration before going ahead with the plans.
He added that a change in the law with respect to fuels was also in the pipeline which would give the islands more control over the resources in their territory both land and sea based.