Experts and public officials examine coastal legislation in Ibiza

The forum brought together public officials and legal experts to examine how Spain’s Coastal Law is applied and what rights it affords those affected.

Juan Manuel Lafuente, the Balearic Minister for the Sea and the Water Cycle, took part in the fifth edition of the Foro de Costas y Litoral, which the Cámara de Comercio de Ibiza y Formentera organised at the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Eivissa. The event brought together public officials, legal professionals, members of the business community and others with an interest in how coastal legislation is applied.

Lafuente outlined the main provisions of the Balearic Islands’ draft bill on coastal planning, protection and integrated management. His presentation covered the planning tools set out in the bill, how responsibilities are divided among public authorities and how the proposed regional legislation fits within the national legal framework.

Part of his presentation focused on traditional coastal heritage, including fishermen’s huts, haul-out sites, traditional boat slipways known locally as escars, and other structures historically associated with the use of the sea. Lafuente explained how the bill proposes to identify and protect these structures in accordance with the applicable legislation and the legal framework governing the maritime-terrestrial public domain.

He highlighted the particular circumstances of Eivissa and Formentera, where small fishing facilities, old landing places and other traditional structures are part of the landscape and reflect the islanders’ longstanding ties to the coast. Each case calls for consideration of the site’s heritage, its physical setting and legal status, and the conditions governing use of the public domain.

Lafuente also discussed the respective roles of the Balearic Government, island councils and local councils in coastal planning and management. Topics included the regulation of coastal activities, the management of beaches and beach services, the conservation of natural areas and the protection of the public’s right to use the coast.

Other sessions at the forum examined legal issues arising from the application of Spain’s 1988 Coastal Law. José Antonio García-Trevijano, a retired senior legal adviser to the Consejo de Estado, discussed the law’s transitional provisions. Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, a retired professor of administrative law at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, examined the rights of registered owners of land included in the maritime-terrestrial public domain.

The forum gave participants an opportunity to share legal and institutional perspectives on coastal legislation and discuss how it applies in practice along the coast.