Clarification on the status of the Strategic Project (PIER): not...

Clarification on the status of the Strategic Project (PIER): not fully approved yetJust to clarify: the opening of the public information period announced in the BOPA (Official Bulletin of the Principality of Asturias) does not necessarily mean that the Salave underground mining project has been formally approved as a Project of Regional Strategic Interest (PIER).Some media outlets have presented it as if it were already approved, but this may be due to a misunderstanding of the legal procedure. According to Law 7/2024, this public consultation process is mandatory when the project is incompatible with current urban planning, as is the case with Tapia’s PGOU. In other words, it is not a sign of final approval.That said, the fact that the regional government has initiated this phase can be interpreted as a sign of political will to push the project forward — otherwise, in my opinion, they wouldn’t have taken a step that involves public exposure and potential criticism.It is also worth remembering that if the project is ultimately declared of strategic interest, the Principality has the legal authority to modify the urban planning itself, without needing the consent of the Town Council. This is explicitly provided for in the current regional legislation.In summary: yes, it is a step forward — and credit should be given to the board of directors for diligently getting this far — but the final line has not yet been crossed. The outcome depends on how the urban planning conflict is resolved and the next moves by the regional administration after this consultation period.It will be interesting to stay attentive to the next steps and see how the situation develops.