The conservatives on the Costa Tropical are not happy with the socialist, Central Government’s amendment to the Coastal Law Regulations.
A gathering of PP bigwigs, amongst them Mayor Juanjo Ruiz Joya, who could soon do with a wig… just saying... gathered in protest at a press call in Motril.
They want a pow-wow with Costas (the villains in question) in order to avoid, “an abuse that threatens thousands of families, owners, and businesses.”
Spokeswoman for the PP in the Spanish Senate, Inmaculada Hernández argued that, “The Popular Party believes in coastal protection, but also in legal certainty and respect for those who have spent decades living, working, and investing in our municipalities.”
“We say a resounding no to eliminating economic activities; no to ending concessions; no to removing beach bars (chiringuitos), and no to thousands of families living in anguish over the demolition or loss of rights to their homes, which in many cases were inherited from their grandparents,” she said.
Mayor, Juanjo Ruiz Joya, inpatient to get a word in edgeways, before the ex-Mayor of Motril, Carlos Rojas, grabbed the microphone, showed his outright rejection of a reform that “goes against the employment and wealth generated by traditional establishments that are part of the identity of Almuñécar and the Costa Tropical, such as the chiringuitos.”
So, what is all the fuss about? Well, we did an article on this on the 5th of June which you can read here to find out what the problem is rather than my explaining it again here. Me, lazy? Wash your mouth out with soap!
(News: Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Chiringuitos Threatened, Costas, Proposed Amendment, No Automatic Licence Renewals
news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, chiringuitos threatened, costas, proposed amendment, no automatic licence renewals
Yes, that is the main beef and a logical one. However, the amendment to the law is in response to an EU decision, rather than one thought up by the actual government:
The EU found that Spain fails to ensure transparent/impartial selection procedures for granting or renewing coastal concessions as it allows existing extensions of up to 75 years without bidding, deciding in 2024 that these rules violate Article 12 of the Services Directive.
Therefore, to avoid hefty penalties from the EU’s Court of Justice, the Government is trying to change its rules governing coastal concessions (licences not only for chiringuitos but any other business based on a beach)
The PP are well aware of the circumstances behind this and would be doing the same if they were in power, but politicians will be politicians
The main problem, as I see it, is the automatic opening to competitive tendering when a chiringuitos license comes up for renewal. This would mean that businesses that have run for decades would have little incentive to make improvements in the run up to review. By all means have legislation to ensure that they meet their responsibilities but the threat of eviction seems to be the opposite of legislation that helps protect domestic tenants from landlords who want them out so they can rent to a new family at a higher rate