Ministry of Environment (Spain)

Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico

The Ministry has its headquarters in the Nuevos Ministerios government complex.
Agency overview
FormedMay 5, 1996 (1996-05-05) (as Ministry of Environment)
June 7, 2018 (as Ministry for the Ecological Transition)
Preceding agencies
TypeMinistry
Jurisdiction Spanish government
HeadquartersPlaza de San Juan de la Cruz, s/n
Madrid, Spain
Employees6,129 (2019)[1]
Annual budget€ 8.9 billion, 2023[2]
Minister responsible
  • Sara Aagesen, Minister
Agency executives
  • Joan Groizard Payeras, Secretary of State for Energy
  • Hugo Alfonso Morán, Secretary of State for Environment
  • Miguel Ángel González Suela, Under-Secretary
Child agency
WebsiteMinistry for the Ecological Transition (in Spanish)

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for designing and implementing the government policy on fight against climate change, pollution prevention and protection of natural heritage, biodiversity, forests and sea. It is also responsible for the water and energy policies, as well as for overcoming the country's demographic challenges (population ageing, territorial depopulation, floating population effects, etc.).[3]

In this sense, it corresponds to the MITECO the elaboration of the national legislation on waters and coasts, environment, climate change, meteorology and climatology; the management of the hydraulic public domain—all types of surface and groundwater—, of the maritime-terrestrial public domain—territorial waters, inland waters, natural resources of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf, as well as beaches and coasts—; the country's representation in the international organizations corresponding to these matters; as well as the coordination of actions, cooperation and agreement in the design and application of all policies that affect the scope of competences of the regions and the other public administrations, encouraging their participation through the cooperation bodies and instruments adequate.[3]

Likewise, it corresponds to the Ministry the development of the national energy and mining policy, together with the measures aimed at ensuring the energy supply, guaranteeing a correct regulation of the sector and the analysis and monitoring of these markets, together with mining competencies, all within the framework of the ecological transition.[3]

The MITECO is headed by the Ecological Transition Minister, who is appointed by the Monarch at request of the Prime Minister. The current minister is Sara Aagesen since November 2024.[4]

History

Environmental policies have been present in the Spanish administration for centuries, with regulations such as the Ordinances for the Conservation and Enhancement of the Navy's Forests and for the Enhancement and Conservation of Forests and Plantations (1748).[5] When the Ministry of the Interior was created in 1812, it assumed responsibility for nature conservation, which was later transferred to the Ministry of Development in 1847, and in more recent times its responsibilities have been divided primarily between the ministries of Development and of Agriculture.

In 1833, the Directorate-General for Forests was created, the first administration dedicated to the conservation of nature.[6] Also, by Royal Decree of 31 May 1837, it was established that "waste lands, crown lands, and lands of unknown ownership, as belonging to the nation as a whole, are administered by the Government", through the aforementioned directorate-general.[7]

Subsequently, Water Laws were also passed in 1866 and 1879, canal and swamp laws in 1870, and the first River Basin Authorities (Spanish: Confederaciones Hidrográficas) were created in the 1920s.[8]

From the 1970s onwards, the term "Environment" was incorporated into the Administration; first through an Interministerial Committee in 1971 for this matter, a Government Delegated Committee in 1972 and, later, through several government bodies, such as directorates-general, undersecretariats or, finally, in a ministerial department, such as the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Environment in 1993.[9]

The Ministry

Finally, in 1996, prime minister José María Aznar established the Ministry of the Environment, a department that unified all related responsibilities, namely:[10]

  • From the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Environment, those related to environment that it exercised through the Secretariat of State for Environment and Housing, except housing.
  • From the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, those regarding nature conservation and national parks.
  • From the Ministry of Industry and Energy, those related to industrial environment.

At that time, there were three main problems: water use and quality, deforestation and wildfires, and desertification. To address these issues, the new Ministry designed a new National Hydrological Plan, reformed legislation on water, waste management, recycling, and the protection of endangered species, among other things, and the Kyoto Protocol was signed.

Also, in 2001 the Spanish Office for Climate Change was established, creating for the first time a government body for this issue. From 2008 to 2011, this competences had the rank of state secretariat.[8]

Merger intro Ministry of Agriculture

In 2008, the environmental affairs were merged into the Ministry of Agriculture and it was renamed as "Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs".[11][12] Some agrarian associations, such as the Young Farmers' Agricultural Association (Asaja), rejected the rebranding of the Agriculture Ministry, considering that it was "to ignore two of the main challenges facing society today: agriculture and food" as well as "downplay the importance of the agricultural sector".[13]

In 2011, it was renamed as Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (2011–2016) and, later, as Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (2016–2018).

Independence retrieved by the ministry

In 2018, with the arrival of Pedro Sánchez to the premiership, he regained the ministry's autonomy by creating a ministry focused on carrying out an energy transition towards more ecological means of production, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.[14] For this purpose Sánchez appointed Teresa Ribera as minister and her ministry assumed for the first time responsibilities on energy policy, a policy that historically belonged to the ministries of Industry or Economy.

In 2020, in order to improve the environmental policies that this department was doing, the Prime Minister promoted minister Ribera to the rank of Deputy Prime Minister[15] and it trusted her the responsibilities on the different demographic challenges that Spain had.[16]

Organization

Organizational chart of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, May 2024

The minister for the ecological transition and demographic challenge is the most senior official of the Ministry. As such, the minister is responsible for appointing all the departmental officials and for establishing the department's general policy guidelines.

To exercise its powers, the minister is assisted by two secretaries of state, one for energy affairs and other for environment and water policies, and an under-secretary, who helps the minister in the daily management of the ministry. Also, the minister has three special commissioners, with the rank of under-secretaries, to develop certain policies.

As of 2026, this is the organization of the Ministry:[3]

Ministry Organization (2026)
Minister Cabinet (Chief of Staff)
Commissioner for Renewable Energies, Hydrogen and Storage
Commissioner for the Water Cycle and Ecosystem Resto
Commissioner for the Circular Economy
Secretary of State for
Energy 		Directorate-General for Energy Policy and Mines
Directorate-General for Energy Planning and Coordination
Institute for Just Transition
Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy
Secretary of State for
Environment 		Directorate-General for Water
Spanish Office for Climate Change
Directorate-General for Environmental Quality and Evaluation
Directorate-General for Coast and Sea
Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification
State Meteorological Agency
National Parks Autonomous Agency
Secretary-General for the
Demographic Challenge 		Directorate-General for Depopulation Policies
Under-Secretary Technical General Secretariat
Directorate-General for Services
Deputy Directorate-General for International Relations

List of officeholders

Office name:

  • Ministry of Environment (1996–2008)
  • Ministry for the Ecological Transition (2018–2020)
  • Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (2020–present)
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Party Government Prime Minister
(Tenure) 		Ref.
Took office Left office Duration
Isabel Tocino
(born 1949) 		6 May
1996 		28 April
2000 		3 years and 358 days PP Aznar I José María Aznar

(1996–2004) 		[17]
[18]
Jaume Matas
(born 1956) 		28 April
2000 		3 March
2003 		2 years and 309 days PP Aznar II [19]
[20]
Elvira Rodríguez
(born 1957) 		3 March
2003 		18 April
2004 		1 year and 46 days PP [21]
[22]
Cristina Narbona
(born 1951) 		18 April
2004 		14 April
2008 		3 years and 362 days PSOE Zapatero I José Luis
Rodríguez Zapatero

(2004–2011) 		[23]
[24]
Office disestablished during this interval.[a]
Teresa Ribera
(born 1969) 		7 June
2018 		13 January
2020 		6 years and 171 days PSOE Sánchez I Pedro Sánchez

(2018–present) 		[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
13 January
2020 		21 November
2023 		Sánchez II
21 November
2023 		25 November
2024 		Sánchez III
Sara Aagesen
(born 1976) 		25 November
2024 		Incumbent 1 year and 155 days Independent [29]

Notes

  1. ^ The department's competences were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture between 2008 and 2018.

References

  1. ^ Ministry of Territorial Policy and Civil Service (2018). Statistical Bulletin of the personnel at the service of the Public Administrations (PDF). p. 48. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "2023 State Budget" (PDF). www.boe.es. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service (22 May 2024). "Royal Decree 503/2024, of May 21, which develops the basic organic structure of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition". Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Vicepresidenta Tercera del Gobierno y Ministra para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico" (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  5. ^ APAF-Madrid. "Tres siglos de Guardería". www.agentesforestales.org (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  6. ^ Marraco Solana, Santiago (1991). "La política forestal española: Evolución reciente y perspectivas" [Spanish forestry policy: Recent developments and prospects] (PDF). Revista de Estudios Agrosociales (in Spanish) (158): 15 – via Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  7. ^ The Queen Regent, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (4 June 1837). "Royal Decree of 1837 on the Conservation and Promotion of National Forests" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  8. ^ a b Montesinos del Valle, Mercedes (2018). "La creación del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente" [The creation of the Ministry of Environment] (PDF). Ambienta: La revista del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (in Spanish) (124): 142–146. ISSN 1577-9491.
  9. ^ Martínez Salcedo, Fernando (2003). "Desarrollo sostenible y administraciones públicas" [Sustainable development and public administrations]. Mediterráneo económico (in Spanish) (4): 68–69. ISSN 1698-3726 – via Dialnet.
  10. ^ Offcie of the Prime Minister (6 May 1996). "Real Decreto 758/1996, de 5 de mayo, de reestructuración de Departamentos ministeriales". Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  11. ^ Prádanos, Arantza (13 April 2008). "Zapatero convulsiona el área social y degrada Medio Ambiente". Diario Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  12. ^ Mucientes, Esther (12 April 2008). "Zapatero confirma su Gobierno, por primera vez con mayoría de mujeres al frente". www.elmundo.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. ^ "ASAJA RECHAZA EL CAMBIO DE NOMBRE DEL MINISTERIO DE AGRICULTURA | Líder en Información Social | Servimedia". www.servimedia.es (in Spanish). 2008-04-14. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  14. ^ "BRoyal Decree 355/2018, of June 6, by which the ministerial departments are restructured". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  15. ^ Sesay, Isha (2020-01-10). "Pedro Sánchez reveals Spain's new look coalition government - Euro Weekly News Spain News News Article". Euro Weekly News Spain. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  16. ^ Jones, Sam (2020-03-02). "The hollowing out of Spain – and the minister trying to reverse it". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  17. ^ "Real Decreto 762/1996, de 5 de mayo, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (110). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 15709. 6 May 1996. ISSN 0212-033X.
  18. ^ "Real Decreto 374/2000, de 13 de marzo, por el que se declara el cese de los miembros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (63). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 10377. 14 March 2000. ISSN 0212-033X.
  19. ^ "Real Decreto 561/2000, de 27 de abril, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (102). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 16448. 28 April 2000. ISSN 0212-033X.
  20. ^ "Real Decreto 269/2003, de 28 de febrero, por el que se dispone el cese de don Jaime Matas i Palou como Ministro de Medio Ambiente" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (53). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 8326. 3 March 2003. ISSN 0212-033X.
  21. ^ "Real Decreto 270/2003, de 28 de febrero, por el que se nombra Ministra de Medio Ambiente a doña María Elvira Rodríguez Herrer" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (53). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 8326. 3 March 2003. ISSN 0212-033X.
  22. ^ "Real Decreto 449/2004, de 15 de marzo, por el que se declara el cese de los miembros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (65). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 11575. 16 March 2004. ISSN 0212-033X.
  23. ^ "Real Decreto 558/2004, de 17 de abril, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (94). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 16008. 18 April 2004. ISSN 0212-033X.
  24. ^ "Real Decreto 381/2008, de 10 de marzo, por el que se declara el cese de los miembros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (61). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 14366. 11 March 2008. ISSN 0212-033X.
  25. ^ "Real Decreto 357/2018, de 6 de junio, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (138). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 58729. 7 June 2018. ISSN 0212-033X.
  26. ^ "Real Decreto 8/2020, de 12 de enero, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (11). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 2882. 13 January 2020. ISSN 0212-033X.
  27. ^ "Real Decreto 835/2023, de 20 de noviembre, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (278). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 154695. 21 November 2023. ISSN 0212-033X.
  28. ^ "Real Decreto 1171/2024, de 24 de noviembre, por el que se dispone el cese de doña Teresa Ribera Rodríguez como Ministra para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (284). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 158215. 25 November 2024. ISSN 0212-033X.
  29. ^ "Real Decreto 1173/2024, de 24 de noviembre, por el que se nombra Ministra para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico a doña Sara Aagesen Muñoz" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (284). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 158217. 25 November 2024. ISSN 0212-033X.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.