Mining Policy (Andalucía)

Editor's note 30Apr14: Sources D142-6. and D342-4.

The regional government of Andalucía has prepared a planning tool called PORMIAN (2010-2013) (Plan de ordenación de los recursos minerals de Andalucía) is a planning tool to guide mining strategically in Andalucía through the establishment of objectives, axes, lines and actions. PORMIAN was approved in 2005 and follows Law 1/1994 on Spatial Planning the Spatial Plan of the Autonomous Community of Andalucía (POTA Plan de Ordenacion del territorio de Andalucía). The objectives of the Andalucían mining program are:

• to contribute to the development and improvement of the competitiveness and productivity of the Andalucían mining sector, through technological upgrading and incorporating innovative processes;
• to encourage the maintenance and creation of employment and increased added value through the development and consolidation of the industrial mining sector of raw materials in Andalucía. with focus on design of new product and applications;
• promoting environmental integration of mining and compatibility with other land resource based activities;
• to disseminate and facilitate access to knowledge of the mining sector;
• modernizing administrative management in mining areas of Andalucía;
• strenghten training, qualification and safety in the mining sector.

Policy actors: Coordination and monitoring of the plan are allocated to the Secretary General of Industrial Development and Energy and the Department of Industry, Energy and Mines (Secretaría General de Desarrollo Industrial y Energético y a la Dirección General de Industria, Energía y Minas). Evaluation of the plan will be performed by a Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, integrated in the Regional Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Science (Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia), the confederation of businesses of Andalucía (Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía) and representatives of the Andalucían Workers Union and the Commission (UGT and CCOO).

On 25 January 2013, the Regional Minister of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment Mr. Antonio Avila announced the biggest metal mining incentive organized in the recent history of the autonomous region. The province or Huelva has received 40 rights for licence holders of exploration investigations. In the province 32,200 ha are affected by these permits. Together with the permits given in the province of Sevilla that affect 48,700 ha, in total 4.6% of the Iberian Pyrite Belt is affected by these permits.

Effectiveness cannot be assessed, as the policy only recently came in effect. Respondents have criticised the report with regard to sustainability, particularly in the face of contamination risk.

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