Unfavorable technical advice to the project: Caminho das Ginjas, Paúl da Serra

LPN comment under the Public Consultation of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Project “Caminho das Ginjas – Paúl da Serra”

The project under consideration is inside the national network of protected areas (Madeira Natural Park), in three areas of community interest for the preservation of the natural habitats and wild fauna and flora (Natura 2000) and in the Laurissilva Forest in Madeira, classified by UNESCO as Humanity Natural Heritage of Exceptional Universal Value.

The intervention work this project proposes constitutes a serious and unnecessary aggression to this landscape, not in line with its present protection and classification status. This several ‘layers’ of protection include the Special Protection Area status, under the European Union Habitats Directive that forces the Regional Government to the protection of the area, so as the Madeira Laurissilva Forest with its 39 species of rare and threatened plants and animals are maintained or restored in a favorable conservation status.

Following the analysis of the synthesis report of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study of the project “Caminho Ginjas – Paúl da Serra”, LPN notes the presence of serious flaws, errors and fragilities, thus requesting the Environmental and Climate Change Regional Directorate, authority of the EIA, that the project “Caminho das Ginjas – Paúl da Serra” has an unfavorable Environmental Impact Declaration.

Read the technical advice here (in Portuguese).