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Aragon rejects the connection project for three ski resorts in the Pyrenees
  • The Government of Aragon wants to link the ski resorts of Astun, Formigal and Candanchú located in the Pyrenees of Huesca with a large telecabine – the first two crossing the Roya Valley (Canal Roya) – but the Provincial Council of Huesca, one of the promoters of the project, has decided to renounce the Formigal-Astun project.
Jon Torner Zabala @jtorner 2023ko maiatzaren 18a

That is why we have read in various media that "for the moment" have abandoned the project. "It remains to be seen what will happen from the 29th day [the day after the municipal elections and the council]," explains Paco Iturbe, member of the platform Salvemos Canal Roya (Salba dezagun Roya Harana), who opposed the project for the environmental damage it would cause, as can be seen in the report published by El Salto.

Ski developers want to build a new eight-kilometer telequabine over the iconic Roya Valley, for which they spend EUR 26 million from Next Generation funds. In total, the Member will receive EUR 33 million to boost infrastructure related to sustainability. The telecavin crossing the Roya Valley was to occupy most of this line: 37 giant towers, new roads, parking lots... Now, the president of the Diputación de Huesca, Miguel Gracia (PSOE), has asked that this money be allocated to other projects.

Opposing voices

The mega-project announced by the Government of Aragon, especially the Formigal-Astun connection, has provoked not only an anger among the environmental agents, but also the municipal councils of Sabiñanigo and Jaca, as is usual in these cases, which have revealed the power relations between political parties, the Government - Diputation-Councils and employers.

The President of the Government of Aragon, Javier Lambán (PSOE), after the resignation of the Government of Aragon to the economic departure and with the elections at door, points out that if the mountain people do not support the project of unification of ski resorts, they will "park", but if they go out "promote". "We will see what will happen in the future," he said.

Source:Platform in Defense of the Mountains of Aragon

In the words of Salvemos Canal Roya and Paco Iturbe, a member of the platform for the Defense of the Montes de Aragón, the deadline is only an "excuse": "Did you calculate three months ago that you would have enough time and now you say no? ". He says that these funds are not intended to be used for mega-projects, the conditions would be different if the Aragonese political representatives designated a project of general interest. In contrast, the detractors want the area to be declared a protected space for the threat to disappear definitively, "because occasionally these types of projects come to the table". Associations such as Greenpeace, SEO/Birdlife or WWF have also frequently called for the creation of the Anayet-Partacua Natural Park.

The Country receives statements from Ricardo Magán, spokesman for Greenpeace: "The problem is that the European Union audites projects when money has already been spent. If the Roya Valley project had been given the green light and then decided that the investment was inadequate, who would return that money? Public funds should be used". In this case it was clear that supported projects cannot affect biodiversity.