The Canary Islands Vacation Rental Association (ASCAV) has held a series of meetings with Spanish MEPs in Brussels to denounce the double registration that Spain has imposed for vacation homes, “contravening European regulations that expressly prohibit it.”
The Association raised with the MEP Gabriel Mato, of the Popular Party, the possibility of raising a question to the European Commissioner of the sector to find out “what actions will be taken by the Union to resolve this violation of community law given that the European Commission has granted a deadline to our country to eliminate this duplication of registration”.
They have also expressed their concern to MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, of the PSOE, in relation to the principle of unity of exploitation, which “is excluding thousands of owners of tourist apartments and bungalows from being able to use their own property”, as well as for the sanctions being imposed on them for this reason, which forces them to “cede their properties to tourist operators”.
ASCAV recalls in a note that “already in 2002 the European Commission issued a report on the illegality of the principle of unity of exploitation and urged the elimination of this principle which violates European regulations on the free provision of services”.
“Despite the time elapsed, and given the inaction of the Government of the Canary Islands” ASCAV filed a complaint formal that is being processed in Brussels by the Commission's services.
During the same stay in Brussels, and given the recent alliance promoted by ASCAV through FAPAVAT with other associations from European countries that likewise defend small owners, held a meeting with the team of the European Commissioners for housing and Tourism.
At the meeting, the Association requested that the future European standard regulating the matter “take into consideration the figure of the small owner so that they are not expelled from the tourism market for the benefit of large holders.”