The Lanzarote Water Consortium defends that the new Statutes approved at the beginning of the current legislature represent "a historic advance in the democratization and institutional balance of the organism", thus reinforcing "the participation of the town councils and limiting any possibility of unilateral decision by the Cabildo".
The statutory reform corrects, as has been defended in a statement, "a inherited situation". In this regard, they have affirmed that "during the previous term, Statutes from 1976 remained in force that were not adapted to current regulations despite the legal obligation to do so". It has been in this stage when a profound update has been promoted with the objective of configuring a more representative, transparent Consortium that is adjusted to the institutional reality of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
One of the most relevant changes affects the convening of the Assembly. While previously it could be done with just two days' notice, "which makes rigorous analysis of the files by the municipalities difficult, the new Statutes establish a minimum of three business days, with electronic notification and proof of receipt, thus favoring informed and effective participation (article 11.2)".Likewise, the majorities required for the adoption of agreements are modified. If a simple majority was enough before, a circumstance that allowed the Cabildo, with 60% of the votes, to move decisions forward without the need for consensus, now reinforced majorities of 64% or 70% are required depending on the relevance of the matter, forcing broad agreements to be reached between the different administrations (article 12)
From the Consortium, it is underlined that this reform dismantles the narrative of those who maintain that there is room to impose decisions from the island institution. The new Statutes consolidate a collegiate model where strategic decisions can only be adopted with the majority support of the town councils
Judicial challenge of the Haría City Council
Despite this advance in participation, the Statutes have been challenged in court by the Haría City Council, which claims a greater share of participation. The Consortium has assured that the representation criterion in force since the constitution of the Consortium is based on the number of inhabitants, which guarantees "proportionality both in voting and in possible economic contributions".From the Consortium, it is warned that altering that criterion would also mean "modifying the financial balance between administrations, potentially implying greater economic contributions for certain municipalities in case they are necessary".
Guarantee of access to documentation
Finally, the Consortium recalls that all documentation for the files is made available to members from the moment the Assembly is convened, that is, three business days in advance. In the specific case of the contractual resolution with Canal Gestión Lanzarote, the technical reports that support this decision were available from September 30, 2025, the date the Assembly held on October 6 was convenedWith this statutory reform, the Lanzarote Water Consortium has assured that it ratifies "its commitment to transparency, institutional balance, and the defense of the general interest, placing consensus and shared responsibility as central pillars of the management of the integral water cycle on the island".
