Canary Islands Parliament to Debate Reform of Island Council Law in June
The new law, aimed at modernizing management and clarifying responsibilities, has the support of most parliamentary groups.
By Idaira Santana Dorta
••3 min read
IA
Facade of a Canarian town hall with an iron balcony, afternoon light.
The Canary Islands Parliament will debate the reform of the Island Council Law between June 9 and 10, a text that seeks to adapt the legal framework to the islands' autonomy and modernize their governance.
The reform of the Island Council Law is moving closer to approval, with a report that has the near-unanimous support of the parliamentary groups represented in the Canary Islands Parliament, except for Vox, and the backing of the Canary Federation of Islands (Fecai). The text will be presented to the regional Chamber's plenary session on June 9 and 10.
The primary objective of this reform is to adapt the legal regime of the island councils to the 2018 amendment of the islands' Statute of Autonomy. It aims to modernize their management, define competencies, and strengthen their political and administrative structure.
During the commission on Governance, Autonomous Development, and Justice, a consensus prevailed among most groups, who described the reform as one of the most significant of the legislature for the future of island self-government.
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"The role of the island councils is reinforced to have competence and capacity beyond their own island. This provides sufficient strength for the island corporations to exercise their dual role as local administration and body of the autonomous community."
Jesús Ramos Chinea, deputy for the Gomera Socialist Group, highlighted the technical and political work carried out over months to achieve a "consensual and necessary" agreement.
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"Does the new law truly contribute to improving citizens' lives or reducing bureaucracy and public spending? He argued that the text increases political and free-appointment positions, and creates new, unnecessary administrative structures."
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"These corporations do improve the lives of Canarians because they are the administration many turn to resolve their problems. The perspective from the regional government is very different from that of these institutions so cherished by all Canarians."
Luis Campos, from Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista, emphasized that the law will enable the full development of Canarian self-government and facilitate the "more effective" management of transferred or delegated competencies, strengthening each island's decision-making capacity.
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"We have all improved the law together. We have given the norm greater legal certainty, and we have a bill that will serve to improve the management of the island councils and to provide responses to citizens from the island government."
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"It brings the island councils into the 21st century, improves legal certainty, and clarifies the competencies of the island corporations, which are fundamental for the territorial cohesion of the islands."
