The Minister of Rural Development, María Jesús Susinos, considers it a «mockery» the decision of Pedro Sánchez’s government to cancel the Sectorial Conference scheduled for next Tuesday, where the sexennial reports were to be approved, including that of the Iberian wolf and, consequently, the «good conservation status» of this species in Spain, as well as the technical commission planned for this Friday.
Therefore, Susinos has demanded from the MITECO, and from the Secretary General of the Environment, Hugo Morán, that the full convocation of the Sectorial Conference and the Commission be resumed urgently and in person, including on the agenda the approval of the Sexennial Report on the Conservation Status of the Iberian Wolf for its submission to the European Commission.
In this sense, she has detailed that, along with her counterparts from Aragon, Xunta de Galicia, La Rioja, Castilla y León, and Madrid, she has sent a letter urgently requesting the convocation because its suspension could «endanger» the fulfillment of the legal obligations of the Spanish State marked in the Habitats Directive and, therefore, «our commitments.»
On the other hand, the Minister has criticized that the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) «constantly questions» the data provided by the wolf-bearing communities, which support over 95% of wolves in their territory, and the «professionalism and technical capacity of their officials» regarding the status of the canid.
«With this decision, the government has once again shown whose side it is on, giving in to the pressures of animal rights and environmental associations and leaving our farmers stranded,» highlighted Susinos, for whom «Sánchez’s government is completely manipulated.»
In her opinion, it is «completely unacceptable» to suppress the technical sectorial committee, preparatory to the Sectorial Conference on the Environment, where representatives of central and regional administrations were to meet today. «It is a lack of seriousness never seen before,» the Minister added, stating that this government «is not concerned about schedules or the costs already incurred simply by giving in to blackmail.»
In this regard, she pointed out that the request for the suspension of the convocation of the Sectorial Conference on the Environment stems from a petition filed by associations that have lodged complaints with the Ombudsman and have prompted the filing of a constitutional appeal against several provisions, including the eighth additional provision, of Law 1/2025, of April 1, on Prevention of Food Loss and Waste, as the complaints addressed to the Ombudsman include a request for the adoption of precautionary measures to the Constitutional Court.
The sexennial reports, which refer to the EU Habitats Directive for the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, must be sent to Brussels before the end of the current month, including that of the wolf.
As the Minister has reiterated, «the Government of Cantabria can only reaffirm the favorable conservation status of the wolf, as the data is clear and compelling,» and «the MITECO cannot continue to go against our farmers,» she emphasized.
