The Llobregat Delta is an area of great value for the region of Baix Llobregat, Barcelona metropolitan area and the country of Catalonia. In this area, in a delicate balance, several infrastructures coexist: transports, industries, urban areas, an Agricultural Park and a highly valuable nature reserve. This balance has been reached through common consensus after working hard with state, regional and local administrations. In 1994 the Delta Plan was signed, compelling all administrations to develop several projects simultaneously to allow the expansion of the port and the airport. This plan also included environmental compensations and environmental impact mitigation. It was developed between 1999 and 2005.
Next to the airport and the port, we have the nature reserve of Llobregat Delta, a great environmental infrastructure. The value of this area becomes even more important in such a context of climate emergency.
Besides this nature reserve, the Llobregat Delta also includes the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat, a social achievement because periurban agriculture is key to ensure food sovereignty in Barcelona and Catalonia, even more now in a context of higher fuel prices, which will rise the price of transportation. In this sense, the Agricultural Park is a key infrastructure to promote sustainable eating in our towns.
One of the most unspoilt spots in Llobregat Delta is La Ricarda, a proof of this delicate balance we talk about. La Ricarda is an unreplaceable country estate under the umbrella of several Catalan, Spanish and European forms of environmental protection. It includes a lake, which was formerly a fork of Llobregat river, a unique habitat of flora and fauna, resulting in one of the most important nature reserves of the Llobregat Delta. Also, the economical activity developed in this country estate is relevant for the agriculture and farming activities of the Agricultural Park. And last but not least, Casa Gomis, located in this country estate, is a masterpiece of rationalist architecture in Catalonia, a key work to understand the evolution of avant-garde arts and culture of the 20th century.
Several mass media have recently reported that AENA (air navigation authority in Spain) is planning to expand the third runway of Barcelona - El Prat Airport, which is against the agreement signed in 1994 (Delta Plan). This expansion would necessarily mean the irreparable destruction of La Ricarda area and the obstruction of the ecosystem corridor along the nature reserve of Llobregat Delta. This delta has been severely damaged during the past decades with the expansion of infrastructures and it cannot give up an inch more! Otherwise, it will become irreparably unviable.
According to AENA, the expansion of the third runway of Barcelona - El Prat Airport would result in a rise of airport activity, from the current 52 million users to 75 million, which is unsustainable. In a context of climate emergency, this expansion would imply more CO2 emissions and more pollution in the metropolitan area, threatening citizens’ health.
Therefore, all the political groups represented in the Town Council of El Prat de Llobregat, together with the undersigned entities and associations, agree in plenary session to make the following official statement:
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First: We hereby reject the proposal of airport expansion, which is going to destroy the nature reserve of La Ricarda, an irreparable natural, agricultural and patrimonial disaster.
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Second: We hereby defend the coexistence of the airport with urban areas, taking into account that the airport operational activity should minimize aviation noise impacts in nearby towns like El Prat, Viladecans, Gavà or Castelldefels.
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Third: We hereby denounce that Barcelona – El Prat Airport is one of the main greenhouse-effect gas producers in Llobregat Delta and Barcelona metropolitan area. We consider that Barcelona – El Prat Airport should be a key agent in the reduction of gas emissions because an unacceptable expansion of this infrastructure would endanger our planet and people’s health.
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Fourth: We hereby defend that the airport future plans should take into account sustainable tourism criteria in our towns and in our country.
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Fifth: We hereby urge AENA to leave developmentalism policies aside, as these policies are against climate emergency measures, against sustainability in Barcelona metropolitan area, against common sense in the 21st century and against European recommendations. On the contrary, we encourage AENA to innovate and develop sustainable criteria, as suitable for current airport management needs.
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Sixth: We hereby urge national authorities to design a good Catalan transportation system, in which Girona Airport could become the fourth runway of Barcelona – El Prat Airport. In this sense, railway connections between Barcelona – El Prat and Girona airports should be improved, requiring budgetary investments.
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Seventh: We hereby request the Spanish government to leave unviable projects aside (like this third runway expansion) and, instead, to invest on a viable Catalan transportation system.
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Eighth: We hereby request a clear commitment by the Catalan government to defend the fragile balance in Llobregat Delta, to work in the development of a Catalan airport system and to reject, once and for all, the expansion of the third runway of Barcelona - El Prat Airport.
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Ninth: We hereby request all the administrations to pay attention to the needs of the nature reserve of Llobregat Delta by reinforcing its management and promoting its value as a national heritage which should be preserved by generations to come.
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Tenth: We hereby urge all the administrations to compromise in the promotion of the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat, supporting peasantry and making agriculture viable in order to promote food sovereignty in our towns.
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Eleventh: We hereby request that this declaration is included in the website of El Prat de Llobregat Town Council so that citizens can join this official statement.
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Twelfth: We hereby report these agreements to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, the president and delegate councillor of AENA, the Department of Territory and Sustainability of the Catalan Government, political groups represented in the Spanish Congress, the Spanish Senate and the Catalan Parliament, the Consortium for the protection and management of the nature reserve of Llobregat Delta, the Town Councils of Barcelona, Gavà, Viladecans, Sant Boi de Llobregat and Castelldefels, the president of Barcelona metropolitan area, the Regional Council of Baix Llobregat, trade unions CCOO and UGT, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Foment de Treball union, Cercle d’Infraestructures foundation and the associations Ecologistes en Acció, DEPANA, Plataforma per la Qualitat de l’Aire, Plataforma Zeroport, Prou Soroll, APACANA (association of people affected by aviation noise impact), Preservem Castelldefels and neighbourhood associations of Gavà Mar and El Prat de Llobregat.
