Tag Archives: Balearic Islands

The government proposes further unacceptable environmental rollbacks

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It seems like the Balearic Government is obsessed with rewarding environmental offenders. The draft law up for discussion in Parliament tomorrow includes new and alarming environmental rollbacks.

Some of the proposed changes from PP-Vox include putting the definition of “general interest” into the hands of each Island Council, making it easier to renovate buildings outside of zoning regulations, and allowing building violations on rural land to be left unpunished after a certain period.

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Rewarding Illegal Pools?

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Views: 48

The Alaior Town Council has granted a license to legalize the pools at the Torre Vella agrotourism site, ignoring the warning from the former Environmental Commission, which argued that environmental violations cannot be retroactively legalized.

Decree Law 3/2024, introduced by the Council last May under the guise of “administrative simplification,” actually modifies over 50 regulations. Among the most controversial changes are the lifting of bans on construction in flood-prone areas and the dissolution of the Environmental Commission. We are now starting to see the results of these changes.

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Water in Maó: opening more windows

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Commenting on a sensitive topic always has its risks, yet advancing environmental issues has never been easy.

For weeks, there has been an ongoing discussion about the water crisis in Maó, stemming from the failure to notify citizens when an excess of nitrates was detected in the municipal water supply. The political cost of this incident is clear, with resignations, an extraordinary council meeting, and the launch of further investigations. Many are watching closely.

For these reasons, the GOB waited a few days before discussing the broader consequences of this water crisis: the economic, environmental, and social uncertainties it brings.

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Rowing along

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Rowing at sea is the application of the lever principle to move a boat. It’s one of the oldest systems, practiced by peoples all over the world. Rowing was the motor of the past, especially when the wind was not blowing and the sails hung limp. Having strong arms on board was a guarantee of being able to overcome the uncertainties of the sea.

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August 20: Take part in the popular embrace of Ciutadella’s Old Town

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The issues of access to housing and the touristification of urban centers will be the focus of the next participatory action by the Via Menorca platform. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20th, at 7 PM, in the Plaça de la Catedral of Ciutadella.

The activity will create a human embrace around much of the old town of Ciutadella as a call to halt the loss of rights and identity.

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Cala Mitjana: parking with dipped headlights, short-sighted solutions

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The decision to expand the parking lot at Cala Mitjana is one of the measures stemming from the Balearic Government’s Decree Law, aimed at overlooking the side effects of institutional policy. For years, Cala Mitjana has been doubling or even tripling its maximum user capacity. Expanding the parking lot further degrades the natural area and diminishes the tourist experience of visiting this beautiful beach.

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Towels on the Sand

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Cala en Turqueta is a small natural wonder. Two discreet ravines in southern Menorca converge at a single point, forming a bifurcated beach of clear sand, turquoise waters, and tall vegetation reaching the water’s edge. This place combines the idyllic characteristics of tourist promotion with the unique identity of an iconic space for the island’s territorial defense.

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Cala en Turqueta Advocates for a New Path for Menorca

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The Via Menorca campaign made history this past weekend by moving to a real beach: from Cala en Turqueta, we envisioned and organized a change of course for Menorca.

Early on Saturday morning, July 27th, a group of 250 people coordinated to meet at the parking lot of this beach, filling it with residents’ cars for about six hours. The gathering continued on the beach, where participants crafted various messages on the sand using towels and their own bodies. These images were used to convey to the world the concern of a significant portion of the Menorcan population about the island’s increasing overcrowding.

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Petition for Unconstitutionality of the Omnibus Decree Law

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Views: 84

Allowing construction in flood or fire risk areas again, legalizing buildings on rural land without meeting the minimum parameters set by territorial planning, and contradicting higher regulations through a Decree Law based on “extraordinary and urgent necessity” represents a substantial change in the legal conditions of the Balearic Islands’ territory. This arbitrary move creates significant discrimination among citizens.

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