A BLACK MARK for IKEA (April 20, 2007)
new ikea factory in Portugal abuses basic rules of land planning
The IKEA Group is building a new factory in Portugal, but instead of choosing an already existing industrial area, it has chosen to locate the plant in a forest, an area that was classified until very recently as National Ecological Reserve (Reserva Ecológica Nacional - REN)
The Portuguese Government, according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers nr 137-A/2006, of 20th October, has partially suspended the Municipal Land Plan (Plano Director Municipal) of Paços de Ferreira municipality, located in the District of OPorto in northern Portugal. This suspension effectively allows the construction of a new industrial facility of the IKEA Group in the area of the Agrela Mountain range, in a Zone of Forest Protection and Production (“Espaço Florestal de Produção e Protecção”), despite other regional alternatives that exist in industrial areas with all the appropriate infrastructures. By doing this, the Portuguese Government has showed a total disrespect concerning the basic rules of land planning and accepting this, the IKEA Group has shown a huge gap between its speech on social and environmental responsibility and its real practice.
Government promoted the exclusion of the national ecological reserve (ren) to allow the building of the new plant
On top of suspending the Plano Director Municipal, the Portuguese Government has specifically promoted new limits for the National Ecological Reserve (REN) in the Municipality of Paços de Ferreira, approved the 30th January by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers nr 14/2007. These new limits exclude several areas from the existing REN – including precisely the area of the Agrela Mountain range where the Group IKEA intends to build the new factory, therefore violating the criteria set by the REN legislation.
This situation is a serious threat to land planning in Portugal. The area for installation of the new factory includes tracts of mixed forest including species such as pinewood, eucalyptus and cork oak trees (Quercus suber), making up the forest coverage of the steep headwater territories of several water lines of the Agrela Mountain range. The forest therefore functions both as the water capture system and an important control on erosion.
This situation is even more serious given that there are alternative industrial areas with proper infrastructures to receive this kind of investment in the North of Portugal. However, the option of this Swedish group, which supposedly assumes a posture of social and environmental responsibility, has instead been to develop a new industrial area in a forest area of important value in terms of local `ecosystem services´.
QUERCUS would like to state very clearly that it considers the investment of the IKEA Group as a positive contribution for the country, both economically and socially. However, the option of locating the factory in an already existing industrial area, as was previous contemplated by the Group, would allow identical wins for the country without damaging another valuable natural area.
In addition, the construction works necessary to build such infrastructures in a forest zone inside a mountain area will surely have higher costs. At the same time, areas where there have already been important investments of public money to fulfil industrial and land planning requirements will remain empty and waiting for potential users.
Evaluation of environmental impact without public discussion
In order to promote the fast start of the building works the Portuguese Government has classified the private investment of the IKEA Group as a PIN – Project of Potential National Interest (“Projecto de Potencial Interesse Nacional”), has reduced the deadlines of the procedure of Evaluation of Environmental Impact and did not launch the usual divulgation of the Public Discussion period towards an effective public participation. All this undermines the necessary transparency of the process.
Construction works are moving on and destroying the protected forest
The forest area of the Agrela mountain range where building works are already being carried out, was damaged by a fire in 2005, which, under Portuguese law makes it an area where very specific (and restrictive) conditions apply regarding the alteration of the use of the land. Furthermore the building work being undertaken has already destroyed an area of forest with hundreds of trees, including species protected by law, such as the cork oak tree, with no alternatives of location being considered.
In addition to this, granite geological formations in the Agrela mountain range next to the Pillar Mount are being destroyed, with an enormous excavation and landfilling activities right on top of an existing water line. So far 2,200,000 m3 of rock and soil, have already been excavated and moved to construct a platform to install the new plant that will need an area of 28 ha corresponding to about 28 soccer fields.
Quercus turns to judicial action
QUERCUS has alerted the IKEA Group since October of last year for the need to find alternative locations for the new plant that do not damage the environment and national land planning. However, IKEA, opposing the principles of social and environmental responsibility that he claims to defend, insists on sticking to this problematic location, to the detriment of the forest, the landscape and alternative industrial zones.
QUERCUS regrets the position of the IKEA group for the manifest lack of ecological and social responsibility shown in its requirements for the criteria concerning selection of places for investment; and regrets equally, the excessively accommodative attitude of the authorities, by approving the localisation of the plant against all the environmental and land planning conditioning guidelines.
Given the gravity of the process concerning the installation of this plant, QUERCUS is going public and is denouncing the activities being undertaken in Paços de Ferreira, which have already provoked damages that will be difficult to repair. This is yet another clear example of the increasing link between the so called projects of national interest (PIN) and the environmental degradation of our country (photographs illustrating the gravity of this situation can be found at www.quercus.pt).
In addition to a complaint already presented to the Public Ministry (Prosecutors Council), QUERCUS will furthermore contest the administrative acts being undertaken litigiously via the competent Court.
For more information or clarifications, please contact:
Hélder Spínola, President of National Direction Board of Quercus: 00 351 937 788 472
Susana Fonseca, Vice-president of National Direction Board of Quercus: 00 351 937 788 471
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