Country Profiles

Contact

Phone: +34 91 3476726

Address:

Consejo Asesor de Medio Ambiente (CAMA)

c/o Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino

Paseo de la Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid, Spain

Website: http://www.magrama.es/en/ (Ministry for the Environment)

Mission Statement

‘The CAMA aims at participating and following up the general policies related to environment and sustainable development. The CAMA is the advisory council not only to the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, but also to the whole Government in any issue related to environment and sustainable development.’

The Council was created for the preservation of natural heritage and biodiversity, as an organ of public participation in conservation and sustainable use, natural heritage and biodiversity.

Composition and Membership

CAMA was created by Royal Decree in 1994 and has undergone various reforms since.

Chair: Rosa Aguilar Rivero.

CAMA has 15 members from NGOs, trade unions, Business, farming associations, and other ‘diverse’ associations. They are appointed for two year terms. The Spanish Local and Provincial Authorities Federation (FEMP) is present at the meetings of the Council with voice but without vote. 

Recent Activities

The CAMA does not issue advice reports as such but the Council Members make remarks (oral and sometimes in a written manner) from the different subjects under discussion.

Current and future priorities include a full range of environmental topics, and participation in the preparations for Rio+20.

Contact

Name: Mr. Arnau Queralt Bassa

Position: Director

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Address:  

Generalitat de Catalunya, Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia

Via Laietana, 14, 5th floor, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Phone: +34 93 363 38 67

Website: http://www15.gencat.cat/cads/AppPHP/index.php

Mission Statement

The main objectives of CADS are: 

• To provide advice on general policy guidelines having repercussions on environment and sustainability;
• To provide advice and information about draft bills that impact on the environment and sustainable development;
• To provide advice and information about sectoral and territorial planning when sustainable development and the environment are affected;
• To propose measures to manage, protect and improve the environment at the same time as promote sustainable economic growth;
• To suggest initiatives in the field of environmental education in order to promote the engagement and awareness of economic and social sectors in protecting and improving the environment;
  
• To suggest actions in order to improve public and stakeholder engagement in environmental issues; and
  
• To propose actions to promote and apply knowledge in the field of the environment.

Composition and Membership 

The Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia was created in 1998, and has been active all the time since then.

CADS has 1 president and 15 council members. All of them are acknowledged experts that express their views on an independent basis. These members are supported by a small secretariat led by a director. This secretariat is attached to the secretary general of the Presidential Department (Catalan Government).

Role and Functions

• scrutinising the implementation of the Catalan Strategy for Sustainable Development;
• providing strategic advice to the Government in order to introduce sustainability criteria in the design of public policies;
• advising on government policy and making policy recommendations in the form of reports;
• undertake and commission studies and research projects when (1) the members of the council do not have a high level of expertise on the topic we are reporting to the Government, (2) when the council decides to start working on a new topic and it needs a report; and
• stakeholder engagement.

Recent Activities 

• • CADS is currently developing two new expert working groups on energy and water; 
    
  • a report on climate change and security risks;
  • drafting reports on the following issues: food security, water management, transition to a low carbon economy, and critical raw materials; and
    
  • events and institutional relationships: High-Level Discussion Forum on Payments for Environmental Services.