Yesterday, 29 September, an important meeting took place between Lurzaindia, the Single Community of Iparralde and the SAFER and EPFL structures responsible for soil management. Arbona talked about the issue of land and houses sold for EUR 3.15 million, with the aim of finding a solution.

The decision not to buy land at that price has been taken unanimously, as they do not want to enter the game of speculation. However, SAFER will contact the seller in collaboration with EPFL to make a purchase proposal and agree on a trade.

On 9 September it was reported that the buyer was not finally going to buy the land and houses. However, the occupation continues with the aim of permanently paralysing speculative selling. The occupation will end on 24 October with the holding of a meeting for sustainable and popular agriculture Lurrama.

Occupations 100 days on weekend

This weekend will be a hundred days of occupation. The Bost group, which together with the ELB and Lurzaindia are making the okupation live, has organized a meeting in front of the Lauga Hall of Baiona, on Saturday at 11:00, on the occasion of the assembly of the Commonwealth of Iparralde.

In the afternoon, trees will be planted in the occupied lands, so that the objective of this struggle is followed and the producers of the land are maintained. The next day they have several formations and talks in Arbona. The ELB and the Lurzaindia association have also joined these citations.

Open the way for a sound agricultural land policy

On 23 June the occupation began with a second claim: The Community of Iparralde asks the Single Community of Iparralde about the implementation of a policy on agricultural soils in Zuberoa, Baja Navarra and Lapurdi. Because without political measures and decisions they cannot stop the disappearance of the land.

In two days the President of the Commonwealth, Jean-Rene Etxegarai, and the Vice-President of Agriculture, Isabelle Pargade, came to the occupation. In addition to their support, they pledged to launch the process in the autumn. In this respect, the exact dates of the meetings will be known on 13 October.

In order to deal with this problem, the ELB and Lurzaindia need to amend the legislation and, to that end, they are in contact with the parliamentarians, who also met on 2 July in Arbona with Mr Jean-Bernard Sempastous, who is responsible for the proposal for a law on agricultural soils in the French Parliament. Progress is also being made in drafting the amendment on the partial priority to buy the SAFER structure, which requires an improvement in the law, because until now it has not fully guaranteed access to agriculture for farmland.