Are you still in time to sign? Yes, but once the legislature is over and the elections are called, it would have very little credibility. Furthermore, and this is the most important thing, even if it is signed tomorrow, what was announced a year ago has been left to nothing, at least to a large extent.

As announced by Arriola and Asensio, the total investment amounted to EUR 61 million. The Basque Government and the Deputy would contribute EUR 45.2, EUR 32.5 and EUR 12.7, respectively. The remaining money would be provided by the municipalities of Aguas del Añarbe, Txingudi Services, Aguas de Gipuzkoa and San Sebastián and Pasaia.

These investments would be made in two instalments, the first to 2001 and the second from 2021 to 2027. In the first instance, "the investments that will have the most impact on the population and the aquatic environment" would be undertaken, as in the sanitation works of Pasai Donibane, the Mijoa river that spills on the beach of Saturraran or the Zelai river that in Tolosa joins Oria. In the second section, the Ziako River of Andoain or Mendaro would arrive.

In the 2020 budgets, however, no money has been allocated to meet the commitments of the Agreement. The cases of Pasai Donibane and the Mijoa River are very significant, among others, because Mr Asensio himself expressly cited them in February, emphasizing that the new Marco Adordio was to resolve "its historical shortcomings". For, without money, without work, and therefore, before the signing of the Agreement, we already know that the forecasts for 2021 will not be met.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It should be noted that in the new Framework Agreement, announced last year by Arriola and Asensio, most of the sanitation projects mentioned were the same as in the Framework Agreement 2007-2011, as Eguzki noted at the time. Moreover, some of them were already mentioned in the Framework Agreement 2003-2006! In other words, these are projects that should have been in operation for a long time.

Arriola meant, in a way, "this time yes." However, the Soleons were sceptical, and a year later it was clear that we were right. We're not proud to have invented it, huh? In fact, it had no special merit, since the history of river sanitation in the Basque Country is a history of chronic delays.

And as long as there is no substantial increase in the salaries paid by public administrations for sanitation, there will be even greater delays. It should be noted that the Hydrological Plan is being revised and a new Hydrological Plan will enter into force before the end of 2021. Among the measures of this new plan are the old sanitation projects that have not been carried out so far, but also the new ones, also inevitably, as a result of the water regulations that have been tightened up in recent years. More investment will therefore be required.

In short, if this is maintained, i.e. if investments are not substantially increased, the basic sanitation network will not be completed in decades.