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The Island Council of Menorca has once again reduced the environmental activities agreement planned with GOB. Last year, the Department of Environment eliminated support for summer camps. This year, it has cut funding for a publication on sustainable gardening and an environmental education program focused on the sea. Free opinions come at a cost.

Despite these actions being included in the approved budget, this is the second consecutive year that the Councillor for Environment and the Biosphere Reserve, Simon Gornés, has decided to cut the planned support for GOB’s environmental projects.

Well-known initiatives such as summer leisure activities, which are in high demand among Menorcan families, were dropped last year from the planned subsidies. The agreement was reduced by 30%. That funding was intended to make summer camps and nature excursions for children and youth more affordable.

GOB still carried out the activities last year, and they are taking place again this summer. However, this has created a deficit that will need to be addressed for the coming year.

In 2025, a similar operation has been repeated. The planned publication of a sustainable gardening manual—one of the key strategies for reducing unnecessary water consumption in Menorca—has also been removed from the agreement, along with its corresponding budget line. The same has happened with a marine environment program focused on environmental education and the promotion of regenerative aquaculture opportunities.

The Council’s agreement now amounts to only a third of what it originally was.

Historically, there have been similar moments in which certain government officials have used public funds to punish or pressure the stances of civil organizations. In this case, GOB has repeatedly spoken out against the rollback of land protections being promoted by both the regional and island governments, and has been one of the most vocal advocates for limiting tourist vehicles.