Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 25 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, announced on Tuesday that a legal review has been initiated by the Regional Executive to establish legislation pertaining to residents and the acquisition of property.
In this regard, Clavijo responded to inquiries regarding the strategy designed to secure a residence law for the Canary Islands from both the State and Europe, following questions posed by David Toledo, a deputy from the Canarian nationalist group, during a parliamentary oversight session.
The Canarian President stated that the regional government is committed to this initiative, as evidenced by the demographic challenge commission convened in the regional Parliament, which concluded with a series of recommendations. He highlighted that this will also be a key issue for the strategic prospecting office, as the Canary Islands cannot continue “at this rate of growth.”
He also expressed concern over the “certain challenges” faced by Canarians in various regions of the archipelago, where residents feel a disconnect from their identity or their surroundings, feeling unable to coexist harmoniously with both the tourism and economic activities occurring.
Consequently, Clavijo elaborated that in order to tackle this matter, a legal review has been commissioned by the Government of the Canary Islands, noting that previous administrations undertook similar actions. He pointed out that this has been updated considering “the extraordinary cases in the European Union that are in existence,” while two working lines have been established.
He detailed that the first working line concentrates on the fundamental legislation of local entities, which “enables regulation and the establishment of standards.” Pertaining to this, he mentioned a ruling in Bilbao that permits “municipalities, in certain circumstances, to impose conditions on residents or on the purchase of property,” emphasising that this is a task that “can only be accomplished in conjunction with the State.”
On the other hand, a parallel working line with the European Union (EU) has been initiated, where Clavijo acknowledged that there are instances where conditions regarding residency, economics, and taxation for obtaining residency status or acquiring property are “much more stringent and rigorous” than those imposed on actual residents.
“There are precedents, legal reports, and political will available; now all that remains is to foster unity and put in substantial effort to achieve it,” he concluded.
