The Navarra Association of Farmers and Livestock Farmers called on Spain’s Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico on 28 September 2026 to publish the tender for the second construction phase of the Canal de Navarra immediately. In a statement, the association complained that there was still no specific date for publication of the tender documents.
The immediate issue, in the association’s view, is the failure to implement a timetable announced in the spring. On 21 April 2026, the state and the Gobierno de Navarra presented a funding and implementation agreement for the second construction phase of the Canal de Navarra. It indicated that a tender would be issued during 2026. Since then, professional and residents’ associations have pointed to delays and called for certainty in planning.
The second construction phase of the Canal de Navarre is considered especially important in the Ribera and other parts of the region as key to irrigation, security of supply and the modernisation of farms. However, construction contracts cannot be awarded without a public tender. According to the government, preparatory administrative measures have been completed in recent months, including setting maximum compensation values for expropriations. These steps are a prerequisite for construction to begin, but they do not replace the tender.
Several parliamentary initiatives have been put forward urging the Ministry to set a binding timetable. The Government of Navarra has repeatedly said in 2026 that it supports all the necessary steps to ensure the tender goes ahead. The company responsible for carrying out the procedures is Canal de Navarra, S.A. is responsible.
Agricultural associations say that uncertainty is holding back investment in land consolidation, irrigation networks and multi-year farm planning. They also fear costs could rise because of construction prices and interest rates if contract awards are delayed further. The Ministry most recently referred to the ongoing administrative preparatory work, but gave no new publication date.
Fact: The call for urgent action comes from the association’s statement of 28 September 2026. The funding and implementation agreement was announced on 21 April 2026. No other reliable, new dates for the public tender have been documented to date.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).