The launch of the Canary Islands Emergency Agency (ACE) faces new bureaucratic delays, postponing its operational start beyond the summer. The initial projection by the autonomous government was to have the entity fully established before the end of 2026, but current timelines make this objective increasingly difficult to meet.
The agency's creation will proceed through a bill, a procedure that involves longer timelines. Despite the uncertainty, the draft bill has already passed the public information stage, with the deadline for submitting allegations on July 16. Following this phase, the text will continue its processing until final approval.
The Vice-Minister of Territorial Cohesion and Water, Marcos Lorenzo, explains that the Agency will be integrated into the future Canary Islands Civil Protection Law. This regulation aims to adapt the Archipelago's emergency system to current legal frameworks and strengthen it for the Islands' specific needs. The processing of this law will be more extensive, so the Agency's creation will occur beforehand via decree.
The draft bill argues that the emergency system in the Canary Islands has significantly evolved since the 2007 Canary Islands Security and Emergency Law, as has state legislation. The goal is to provide the Archipelago with a "coherent, modern, and coordinated" system to manage complex risks, exacerbated by climate change.
The Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion, and Water has allocated a budget of 500,000 euros for the Agency's creation, along with 2.8 million for Civil Protection units and the drafting of the future Canary Islands Civil Protection System Law.
The draft bill justifies the reform by new needs arising from population growth, tourism, forest fires, and adverse weather phenomena, which have highlighted the current organizational structure's inadequacy.
The ACE will consolidate resources from the autonomous executive and be attached to the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion, and Water. Its responsibilities will include drafting regulatory projects, preparing territorial and special emergency plans, and specialized training for emergency system personnel.
The Agency will serve as an instrument for coordination, support, and cooperation among administrations, without replacing the competencies of island councils and municipalities. It will collaborate on maritime rescue within the autonomous scope and will have inspection and sanctioning powers.
