The core disagreement lies in the Canary Executive's desire for the CNV to handle "comprehensive management of volcanic phenomena," a task the Ministry of Science deems incompatible with the responsibilities of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), delegated by the State since 2004.
The Ministry of Science stated that "no government can use an agreement to change legally established competencies," clarifying that the center's purpose is to consolidate research, not real-time monitoring. This response follows accusations of "blockade" from the Cabildo of La Palma, whose president, Sergio Rodríguez, criticized the delay in signing the agreement.
Sources from the Palma Cabildo also suggest the Ministry disagrees with the proposed dual-seat structure, with a main center in La Palma and a secondary one in Tenerife. The president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, echoed this sentiment, calling the infrastructure "essential for reinforcing safety, research, prevention, and response capacity for volcanic risks".
The Ministry of Science acknowledges delays but attributes them to a "disagreement between parties." The CNV's original concept arose from the need to unify institutions studying volcanic phenomena after the La Palma eruption in 2021, to avoid duplicated efforts. The initial proposal included the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan), ITER, the CSIC, the University of La Laguna (ULL), and the IGN.
The IGN is the sole entity responsible for seismic and volcanic surveillance since 2004. The Ministry warned that the CNV should integrate and enhance scientific and administrative coordination, but not assume volcanic management, which would be "illegal" and create "uncertainty".
The conflict escalated on March 20, 2026, when the Ministry requested the removal of "comprehensive management of volcanic phenomena" from the draft agreement. The Canary Government insisted on its inclusion on June 30, which the Ministry considers an "unnecessary" delay.
The creation of the CNV, included in the 2023 General State Budgets with a five-million-euro allocation, was first proposed in 2022. The Cabildo of La Palma also denounces a financial cut, reducing the budget to 2.9 million euros, while the Ministry assures the full 5 million euros will be provided incrementally.
