The Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Water and President of the Board of Trustees of the Biodiversity Foundation, Josep Puxeu, the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Francina Armengol, and the Rector of the University of the Balearic Islands, Montserrat Casas, have today signed an agreement to collaborate in the implementation of the Master Plan and the Restoration Project of the historic gardens and landscape of the Raixa estate. The signing ceremony of this agreement, which was held in Raixa (Mallorca), was chaired by the Minister of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa, and the President of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich.

This agreement provides for the preparation and implementation of a Master Plan for the design, use and management of the Raixa gardens and the Project for the architectural and botanical restoration of the gardens and landscape of the estate to highlight its heritage, both historical, cultural and environmental, improve its conservation and allow its enjoyment by citizens.

The Master Plan will meet the general management and planning criteria to be applied. Likewise, it will define the ideal characteristics to harmonize the public use of the property in the twenty-first century in an orderly manner and publicize its important historical, environmental, educational and cultural value.

It also proposes to provide internal coherence to the planning of the property, ensuring its homogeneous and coordinated planning and management, and promoting the balanced development of its entire complex. Similarly, it aims to contribute to the protection and conservation of nature; to establish guidelines on conservation, public use, research, training, education, social awareness and sustainable development; to promote an awareness of appreciation for the natural heritage and social participation in it; and to enhance the image and external projection of the Raixa estate.

The Master Plan will include the studies that have been carried out on the Raixa gardens and the gardens, such as the previous study of analysis of the current situation in which the risk pathologies are detailed, the elements that must be preserved, restored or eliminated both at an architectural, sculptural, botanical and archaeological level. These studies have been carried out by prestigious professionals, most of them belonging to the University of the Balearic Islands. It must also consider all the existing previous information, including the conclusions of the conference organised by the Biodiversity Foundation in Mallorca on 20 and 21 July 2006 on gardens.

It will also make a proposal on the possible uses that can be developed in the Raixa gardens, as well as the routes that will be carried out on the estate, specifying the points of interest.

On the other hand, the agreement signed today between the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of the Environment, and Rural and Marine Affairs, the Consell de Mallorca and the University of the Balearic Islands, contemplates the realization of the Architectural and Botanical Restoration Project of the gardens.

Once the Master Plan has been completed and the Restoration Project of the historic gardens of Raixa has been executed, which will be carried out in 2009, the Biodiversity Foundation, of the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, and the Consell de Mallorca, owners of the estate, will open their doors to the public through guided tours so that citizens can get to know and enjoy the estate.