The director of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Sonia Castañeda, has attended, in Rome, the meeting of the Jury of the European Environment Awards, made up of 24 people, convened, since 1987, by the European Commission and in which the Biodiversity Foundation is present as the only Spanish representative.

These Awards, to which a total of 152 proposals from 28 Member States have been submitted, have since 2012 a category “Business and Biodiversity”, to which 33 nominations have been submitted, including 5 Spanish, which will opt, together with the other 7 Spanish initiatives, for the 15.

The 24 members of the Jury have chosen the 15 best companies. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held in the French town of Lyon on December 1.

The European Environment Awards have sections in each of the Member States. On June 5, World Environment Day, the 12 winning Spanish companies that are now participating in this European contest were announced. The awards ceremony in its Spanish section was attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina.  In the Spanish section, NH Hoteles, A&B Laboratorios de Biotecnologia S.A.U., Hospital de Galdakano-Usansolo, Acciona Ingenieria S.A., Ecoalf Recycled Fabrics S.L., Agua de Niebla, Futureco Bioscience S.A., Font Vella y Lanjarón, AFESA, Leroy Merlin Spain, Red Eléctrica de España and the Port Authority of Cartagena were awarded, each for its commitment to sustainable development and environmental performance.