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Jaume Ferrer declines invitation to return to Brussels, “power to stop project is in Madrid”

Jaume Ferrer will not join the delegation composed of environmental councillor of the Govern Balear Gabriel Company, MEP Rosa Estaràs and president of the Eivissa Council Vicent Serra on their upcoming visit to new European environmental commissioner Karmenu Vella to discuss petroleum exploration in the Gulf of Valencia.

The reason, according to the Formentera Council president, is that following the group's previous trip to Brussels to meet with then commissioner Janez Potocnik, the message was clear: decision-making on the issue falls within the authority of the Spanish state.

Thus, President Ferrer stated: “I wish to thank Vicent Serra for extending the invitation. We know that President Serra will fight as we have fought, do anything and everything it takes to stop this project. However now is not the time to go back to Brussels. Our next trip needs to be to Madrid”.

Ferrer qualified as “incomprehensible” the ease with which trips to the EU capital are organised in order to speak with European leaders. "These are ways to avoid doing what is really necessary”. The president stated simply: “We know where our work is to be done. In Madrid, campaigning the ministers of industry and environment to put a stop to this nonsense of petroleum explorations. These are the figures that can stop this project”.

President Ferrer recalled the fact that he had pushed Govern Balear president Bauzà on such a Madrid trip at each and every presidential conference held so far this legislative session.