Eloise HorsfieldGREENPEACE has threatened to take legal action and stage major protests if the Spanish government pushes through plans to relax coastal planning regulations.
The environmental group is angry following comments by Spain’s Environment Minister Miguel Arias Canete promising to make the Coastal Law ‘more compatible with economic growth’.
The proposals would make it easier for waterfront developments to be approved, leaving the coastline exposed to potential environmental damage.
The Coastal Law defines an area within 100 metres of the beach as public land, meaning that thousands of foreigners with property within the zone no longer have ownership, despite buying in good faith before the law was introduced in 1988.
This has led Britain and other European countries to put pressure on the new PP government to modify the law.
Many expats were granted a 30-year concession, but with many of those set to expire in 2018, the government is being forced to take action.
ANY new law should not be made effective/ retroactive because it did NOT EXIST at that time. It MUST ONLY apply after the date of promulgation & public notice. As an extreme example, at a certain date the speed limit on the N340 was legally changed from 120 to 110KPH. Did that mean drivers going at the prior limit of 120, would be GUILTY of breaking the law when it was later changed to 110KPH??
Take the issue to the EU Court of Justice.
This is my view in general regardless of language or countries. The same shoukd be for any lake property. Any land of waterfront be lake ocean or river should not be privatetly owned but should be public. Why anyone around the world countries or a country should own waterfront property? Is usually people whom are loaded with money the ones whom go around the world regardless of their race,culture , national origin whom seem to want to want the waterfront lands. Those lands be in the USA, Americas, Europe and the world should be in the hands of the public park services. That is my opinion. Example. If I become a multi million or billion person. That status should not be an entitlement for me to phrchase any waterfront property on my country or any country. There should be a distance from the shore to inland free of building and only for public usage.
Hector,
well said, some countries are egalitarian like the Netherlands (where I have lived) or .
I remember seeing a TV programme about Germanies Baltic coast and it was an example for all to follow – a strip of natural coastline and with sympathetic construction behind. Strange that countries whose peoples respect their lands tend to be the most prosperous.