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Date Published: 24/09/2021
ARCHIVED - EU sends formal warning to Spain over high speed train track in Andalusia
The track which extends from Seville to Almería in Andalucía is said to negatively impact endangered bird species
The European Commission has opened disciplinary proceedings against Spain after the high-speed train track between Almería and Sevilla is said to put protected bird species and natural areas at risk.
Back in 2016, the Commission decreed that Spain had not carried out the necessary measures to ensure that the train track didn’t pose a threat to bird species and natural habitats in the protected area of Campiñas de Sevilla.
Since then, the Spanish government has taken no action to compensate or mitigate the negative effects on the natural environment, which is why, five years later, the European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice (which is the first step in infringement proceedings). This could mean a trial at a Luxemburg court as well as economic sanctions for Spain if the situation is not rectified.
Representatives from Brussels have reiterated that compliance with EU environmental legislation is “crucial” for the preservation and restoration of nature and its biodiversity and that it is important that the EU take steps to stop this loss of biodiversity.
It has been a good new week for birds in Spain, as Barcelona is suing a national energy company for failure to sufficiently protect endangered species from power lines.
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