The Environmental Research Center, better known as CIMA, has almost doubled its budget in order to reactivate its “essential” role in the environmental improvement of Cantabria. In 2025 it will have more than 4.2 million euros with which it is planned to improve the equipment and reinforce the workforce.
The Minister of Development, Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment, Roberto Media, has chaired the recent ordinary meeting of the Governing Council of the Environmental Research Center (CIMA)where the budget that this autonomous body will have for the year 2025 has been approved, a total of 4,265,497 euros, increasing the accounts of last year by 1,293,438 euros (43.52%).
Economic reinforcement for CIMA
During the meeting held at the CIMA headquarters, in Torrelavega, Media highlighted the “important” effort made by its department to increase CIMA’s accounts so that this organization can once again regain its “essential” role when it comes to improve the environment in Cantabria and promote sustainable development in the region.
“In recent years, between little and nothing has been invested in this organization and we have found a CIMA with personnel problems and less and less activity and functions,” lamented the counselor, who specified that this budget increase will go aimed at increasing the workforce and improving their equipment.
Thus, personnel costs will increase by more than 200,000 euros to provide the center with a position of senior environmental evaluation technician and another as an environmental agent, “both essential” for the proper functioning of the CIMA Environmental Management Service.
Media has highlighted the 270% increase in real investments, which will mean allocating more than 1.4 million to modernize the laboratories and the Air Quality Network, in addition to finance the PROVOCA environmental education programthe actions framed within the Cantabrian Environmental Education Strategy and the management of the 5 CIMA visitor centers.
Among the most relevant investments that will be carried out throughout 2025, the advisor has highlighted the acquisition of “more modern and efficient” machinerywith an investment of 536,000 euros, in order to replace the current, “very obsolete” one in the laboratories.
In addition, more than 500,000 euros will be allocated to improve the Air Quality Network analyzers and 50,000 euros to acquire a new van for transporting and collecting samples, as well as more than 300,000 euros to maintain nominative subsidies and collaborations aimed at public and private entities that develop environmental projects.
Other notable investments for next year will be an allocation of more than 300,000 euros for the PROVOCA program and for actions framed within the Cantabrian Environmental Education Strategy, and more than 420,000 euros to promote agreements with other environmental entities for the development of related work with the powers of the Center and the management of the visitor centers dependent on the CIMA.
In addition to addressing the accounts for the next financial year, the Governing Council has reported that this year the agreement that CIMA maintains with the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) will be renewed to management of the MeteoCantabria website and a collaboration agreement will be signed with the University of Cantabria (UC) for the dissemination and promotion of volunteering among the university community.
Also participating in the meeting were the director of CIMA, Patricio Martínez; as well as representatives of the different institutions that make up the CIMA Governing Council, of the different ministries that participate in the Council and representatives of UGT, CC OO and CEOE-CEPYME Cantabria.
Everyone has thanked Councilor Media for the effort his department has made to significantly increase the CIMA budget for next year, which will allow the organization to enhance its activities in benefit of the quality of the environment of Cantabria.