The Tourism Department of the Government of the Canary Islands, led by Jéssica de León, offered an informative breakfast this Wednesday morning on the progress of the future Sustainable Planning of Tourist Use of Homes Law project and responded to criticism from the Platform of Those Affected by the Tourism Law and the Canary Association of Vacation Rentals.
First, Tourism responded to ASCAV regarding the complaint that the association filed with the European Commission and claimed was admitted for processing. "We have no evidence that said complaint has been admitted for processing, and there is no record that it has been formally filed with the Commission or any other instance of the European Union," the Canarian Area stated.
Likewise, the Canarian Executive has defended that it "has complied with all the legal requirements demanded in the processing of the Law" and that, therefore, this complaint has not "produced" nor is it expected in the "future" to produce "any consequence."
Secondly, the Department has recalled that "the law has not yet been approved" and that it is "in parliamentary procedure." Thus, it has indicated that the obligation to notify the European Union "must be done before the final approval of the regulation."
Thirdly, the area led by Jéssica de León has accused ASCAV of "clouding the democratic process" and wanting to "generate confusion and discredit a legitimate legislative process."
On the other hand, it has responded to the Platform of Those Affected by the Tourism Law, who accused the draft of "covert expropriation." Thus, the Department has labeled the platform as making an "erroneous and alarmist" interpretation and has indicated that "there is no deprivation or absolute limitation of the right to property in the text of the bill."
Tourism has indicated that "the law does not expel or evict anyone from their home, nor does it force the owner of the property to hand over the keys to any operator." Thus, it has continued pointing out that the regulation is "homogeneous throughout Spain and everyone must generally respect the uses in planning."
At this point, it has responded to the sanctions that some residents of southern Gran Canaria have received for living in an establishment located on tourist land. The Department reveals that two Gran Canaria town councils "committed last year to initiate the procedures for modifying specialization" to suspend the sanctions that were underway.
