EU willing to invest in wastewater treatment Canary Islands

The European Commission is reportedly willing to support the Canary Islands in addressing the deficiencies in wastewater treatment. Two local politicians addressed the issue of illegal sewage discharges in the municipality of Arico, along the east coast of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands Parliament and the European Parliament. The politicians decided to escalate the matter after repeated complaints about the local government’s lack of action.

The sewage discharges have led to several sanctions against various municipalities. The Canary Islands are facing four penalty proceedings related to illegal discharges, one of which is in the collection phase with an estimated cost of 12 million euros. The European Commission has confirmed that these breaches continue to negatively impact the environment and public health, especially in areas such as the municipality of Arico.

According to a 2021 wastewater discharge survey conducted by the government, the Canary Islands had 434 known discharge points, of which only 28% were legally authorised. Tenerife alone accounts for 45% of all illegal sewage discharges, making it the island most affected by this crisis.

Source: France24.

Escalation to European authorities

The concern over the sewage discharges was brought forward by Pedro Jonay Díaz, president of the local committee of the political party Nueva Canarias–Bloque Canarista in Arico, and Juan Daniel Fajardo, vice president of Nueva Canarias Tenerife. Both spokespersons stated that, after several formal requests to the Arico City Council and the Government of the Canary Islands without receiving a satisfactory responses, they decided to take the matter to the highest European authority. Nueva Canarias has taken the case to Brussels, through the European Free Alliance (ALE), arguing that it violates EU directives on sanitation and wastewater treatment.

Both NC-representatives have outlined a roadmap to address this issue with Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Member of the European Parliament from Compromís, and Paula Duarte, head of the Marine Environment and Clean Water Services Unit of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment. The Canarian representatives presented the ‘negative impact of poor wastewater management in the region’ as well as the urgent need to improve sanitation infrastructure.

Adequate regional plan is needed

According to statements in the media by the representatives of Nueva Canarias, the European Commission is said to be willing to provide funding through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to solve this problem if an adequate regional plan is submitted. Pedro Jonay Díaz, president of Nueva Canarias (NC) in Arico and former local councillor for the environment in 2023, has publicly denounced the lack of response from the Arico Council in addressing the issue.

The responsibility for addressing these issues falls on the Arico City Council, as wastewater management is a municipal responsibility. The Tenerife Hydrological Plan, valid until 2027, requires the council to upgrade wastewater treatment and pumping stations, as current facilities lack legal authorisation. Unfortunately, no progress has been made towards implementing these measures. Failure to act could have serious environmental and financial consequences. Díaz warns that Canary Islands authorities have already faced EU sanctions for violating wastewater treatment regulations and that, unless urgent action is taken, further penalties may follow.

Improving wastewater infrastructure

During 2014-202 a €1 billion in European Regional Development Fund resources was available for investments in the Canary Islands during the 2014–2020 period, including wastewater treatment projects. A concrete example of this can be found on Tenerife. The island’s government carried out several wastewater initiatives with ERDF support to comply with the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. According to the Tenerife Water Authority CIATF, the construction of new wastewater treatment plants (WWTP’s) in Valle de Güímar and the renovation of the wastewater infrastructure in Adeje-Arona are meant to stop illegal discharges. These projects are essential for improving water quality and preventing further EU sanctions.