In deep water

The EU has already requested clarification from the Spanish government about the law change, but no formal response has been given yet.

According to technical estimates by the European Parliament, the fine for noncompliance could be as much as €300m. Spain has previously faced environmental fines in the Basque Country.

Doñana in southern An­

REYES MAROTO has caused controversy by suggesting introducing a tourist tax to Madrid, something that local hoteliers are already getting steamed up about, according to a news source on Monday, April 17.

For five years, Maroto was in charge of Spain’s tourism. Now she is standing for mayor of Madrid, which every year attracts millions of visitors, including lots of British holidaymakers.

A tourist tax was first proposed for Madrid in 2015 and 2018 but was never implemented.

“The most important thing is to know why,” Maroto said.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting dalucia has been suffering from water shortages due to the expansion of irrigated agriculture in surrounding areas. A local ecological research centre, reports that 59 per cent of the major lagoons in Doñana have not been filled with water since 2013.

The situation has been attributed to the increase in irrigated land, which has expanded by 30 per cent in the last decade.