The Balearic Government regrets that the reform of the Coastal Regulations does not improve Balearic self-government or provide solutions

May 22th 2026

The Ministry of the Sea and the Water Cycle denounces that the announced measures were already foreseen in the transfer of powers and warns that the modification may cause more administrative blockage in the processing of files

The Ministry regrets that the reform of the Coastal Regulations was negotiated exclusively with Catalonia and behind the backs of the other affected autonomous communities.

The Ministry of the Sea and Water Cycle of the Government of the Balearic Islands considers that the announcement made today by the Ministry of Territorial Policy on the modification of the General Coastal Regulations does not represent any progress in the effective decentralization of the powers transferred to the autonomous communities and, in some aspects, may even represent a setback.

The measures announced by the State, the result of a bilateral negotiation exclusively with Catalonia and without consensus or prior dialogue with the other affected autonomous communities, were already contemplated in the Decree of Transfer of Coastal Powers to the Balearic Islands and, therefore, do not constitute anything new nor do they reinforce the self-government of our autonomous community.

Specifically, the mechanism for notifying the State of applications for public land concessions and the two-month period for issuing an opinion were already included in the existing regulatory framework. Furthermore, the proposed regulatory amendment now introduces the risk of transforming certain reports related to marine strategies into mechanisms of negative administrative silence, which could lead to further delays in procedures and greater legal uncertainty.

Similarly, the creation of a Monitoring Commission for the transfer is not a new measure. This body was already planned, and the Balearic Islands Government has been demanding its convening for over three years without receiving a response from the central government.

The Balearic Government has already submitted objections to the proposed amendments to the Coastal Regulations and regrets the lack of dialogue from the Spanish Government throughout the process. It should also be noted that the central government did not participate in the hearings held in the Senate with the affected autonomous communities and that the convening of the Coastal Sectoral Committee is still pending.

The proposed amendment to the Coastal Regulations has been pushed through unilaterally, without consensus or prior negotiation with the autonomous communities. It is also worth recalling that the Senate recently approved a motion calling for the suspension of this regulatory reform and the initiation of a dialogue process to jointly address a broader amendment to the Coastal Law.

Furthermore, the Ministry is taking this opportunity to reiterate its demand that the State return to the Balearic Islands a portion of the more than €12 million it collects annually through the fee for the occupation and use of the public maritime-terrestrial domain. The Government points out that, despite the transfer of coastal management responsibilities, the autonomous community bears the full costs of coastal management without receiving financial compensation or proportional investment for beach regeneration, cliff protection, coastal cleanup, or climate change adaptation projects.

The Ministry of the Sea and the Water Cycle reiterates its willingness to cooperate institutionally, but calls on the State for effective and loyal dialogue, as well as measures that allow for streamlining management and responding to the needs of the Balearic coast.