The Specialised Commission on Natural Resources and Environment gave an unfavorable opinion to the Proposal of Law no. 102/XV/1.ª, of the Government of the Republic, which (GOV) ‘Alters the Bases of the Policy of Planning and Management of the National Maritime Space,’ also known as “Law of the Sea,” stated the Legislative Assembly of Madeira in a press release.
Nuno Maciel, President of the Commission, spoke of a “clear setback in what has been a path of shared management and co-decision of the management of the maritime space and the sea of the Autonomous Regions.”
“We reiterate that it constitutes a setback in the competences of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) and a restriction on the shared management of the Madeira Sea provided for in the political and administrative statute of the Region.”
“The Madeiran parliamentarians understand that the draft law denies Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) the power to approve the planning and management plans of the national maritime space contiguous to its territory up to 200 miles, and to elaborate and approve beyond these, perverting the concept of sharing at two levels of participation, and that in neither of them the role of the Autonomous Regions is binding,” clarified Nuno Maciel.
“The importance that the maritime space has for the Autonomous Regions should always be safeguarded, especially with regard to its management and planning, guaranteeing decision-making / co-decision powers and not only of auscultation, thus safeguarding the autonomy of these regions, a power of auscultation that in the present wording of the initiative in neither case is binding. We also reiterate that we continue to defend a shared management and a codecision process between the Government of the Republic and the organs of self-government of the Autonomous Regions, even for the importance that these territorial waters have in the enlargement of the continental shelf under national jurisdiction.”
An unfavorable opinion was approved by the deputies of the PSD and the CDS-PP.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
