Govern Balear commits to studying political and legal implications of inter-island waste transfer

A meeting was held today at the Presidential Offices of the Govern de les Illes Balears with, in attendance, councilor of the Presidency, Antoni Gómez; Formentera Council president, Jaume Ferrer; councilor of Economy, Bartomeu Escandell; councilor of the Environment, Sílvia Tur; in addition to Eivissa Council president Vicent Serra and Eivissa's councilor of the Environment Pepa Costa. The purpose of the meeting was to demand the formulation of a definitive solution to the problem of Formentera-Eivissa waste transfer. This process implies a fundamental injustice for the people of Formentera, who must bear the brunt of the service's cost overrun for transfer from the Es Cap de Barberia station to the Ca Na Putxa rubbish tip in Eivissa. Today is the first time since the start of the current legislature that the Formentera Council's governing team has obtained a joint meeting between the Govern Balear, the Eivissa Island Council and the Formentera Island Council on this topic. The cost overrun – valued at 119€/tonne of rubbish transferred between the islands – is an affront to the people of Formentera and a serious departure from the guidelines established by the Balearic Island's Statute of Autonomy.

According to statements by the councilor of the Presidency, Antonio Gómez, the Govern has committed to studying both the political and legal aspects of the case in the interest of bringing a definitive solution to the problem. The Council is of the collective opinion that the task of equalizing costs for basic services across the islands is a matter of a clear political will of the government in power.

Formentera's current estimated debt with the UTE-GIREF company is 3,233,577€ for transport fees, a situation which on several occasions has prompted the private company to request of the Formentera Council repayment and corresponding late fees. The island of Formentera has had to bear the full financial burden of waste transfer costs accumulated between 2006 and 2010, a total representing 2,398,145€. The Govern's previous head of government, Francesc Antih, recognised the unfairness and discrimination that this implied for Formentera and believed that our local population was not in the obligation to assume such costs.

It is the sincere hope of the Formentera Council's governing team that the Govern Balear act as guarantor to the equal rights of its citizens and contribute the legal and economic formulas necessary to solving this matter.