The Secretary of State for Climate Change, Teresa Ribera, stressed that Spain is making significant progress to better understand its marine waters, establish guidelines for their management and conservation and thus achieve the goal of establishing a network of viable and well-managed Marine Protected Areas by 2020, covering at least 10% of the marine territory.

This was stated at the opening of the conference on the Natura 2000 Marine Network, which is being held in Madrid until September 23 and is organized by WWF, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, and Rural and Marine Affairs.

Teresa Ribera pointed out that Spain has laid the foundations for a greater knowledge of its marine ecosystems through the approval of two basic instruments for the sustainability and rational use of marine resources and spaces: the Law on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (2007) and the Law on the Protection of the Marine Environment (2010).

In addition, the Secretary of State stressed that the Law on the Protection of the Marine Environment incorporates additional protection measures, including the Network of Marine Protected Areas of Spain, the protection of marine habitats and species, and the regulation of discharges into the sea, thus providing a general framework for the planning of the marine environment.