Twenty environmental agents from Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa have met in Euskal Herria Activa to defend and preserve the natural heritage and the rural environment and to combat major infrastructure projects. Among them are Environmentalists in Action, TAV Gelditu, Assembly against the TAV, Free Mountains of Álava, Free Mountains of Gipuzkoa, Free Mountains of Gipuzkoa, Live Orders, as well as various local groups that have received the accession of agents of Lapurdi, Nafarroa Behera, Nafa Arroa.

The first main quote was scheduled for 20 May: demonstration in Gasteiz. In addition, Euskal Herria Bizirike has supported the demonstration convened for Pamplona by the Erdiz Bizirik platform on 22 April and has announced that meetings with different environmental agents will be held this weekend, the first this Saturday in Ziordia.

Violent attack on many new infrastructures

"It is worrying to see how large investors return to our territory to further deteriorate the natural environment and continue to steal the scarce natural resources that have so far been preserved," they say. The political leaders have been working with the TAV for years and it is a project that, although it is half done, there is no end, but has also focused on the large possible infrastructures of the last years and months, wind and photovoltaic power plants.

Railway projects and infrastructure, wind or photovoltaic plants and their distribution lines, incinerators, industrial greenhouses and intensive animal farming plants. They all appear on the map of the Basque Country because they are projects already underway or in close execution. These projects cover communal areas and farmland, leading to the disappearance of ecosystems that support our territory and maintain life". They warn this in the note and consider that this type of project will bring with it the "progressive destruction" of the rural environment and its way of life, "eliminating" small communities and dwellings.

(For more information see Estitxu Eizagirre's contribution to ARGIA: map of renewable energy projects envisaged by the Basque Government).

They also stress that many politicians and large companies are launching such projects to bring public money into private pockets. Therefore, they state that they adapt the laws to the "interests of large corporations".

Warning for the restructuring of the production system

The Euskal Herria Bizirik platform considers that terms such as energy transition or decarbonisation "make no sense" when they are reused by them that have caused the current eco-social crisis".

They consider that the logic of the market drives excessive consumption and that without changing it the eco-social crisis will not be overcome. They therefore call for policies that restructure the productive system to "improve the common good".