Costa
Blanca News www.costablanca-news.com
MEPs SLATE COSTA BUILDING
Dynamite
report outlines greed and corruption
By
Dave Jones
Friday
30th March 2007
MEPs who visited the Costa Blanca earlier this month on a fact-finding mission have savaged the Valencian political establishment for allowing a catalogue of town planning abuses to occur in the region.
Their provisional report made public this week offers a stinging rejection of the Costa building model.
The 28-page document slams the ‘greed and avarice’ which has led to large-scale environmental destruction – and the violation of residents’ rights, with political corruption at town hall level cited as a major cause.
“In no other EU country are citizens rights to their property abused in this way or to this extent,” the report states.
The five-strong team of MEPs led by conservative politician Marcin Libicki flew to Spain on February 27 to talk with residents affected by development issues.
They visited Parcent, Benissa and several towns in the Vega Baja area
During the five-day trip MEPs received 68 petitions from residents and associations around Spain charting town planning abuses and related problems.
Their no-holds-barred report which was drawn up by Marcin Libicki and Michael Cashman will be presented to the European parliament with a series of recommendations which include the introduction of compensation at ‘proper rates’ for residents who have lost property.
The report states: “The Petitions Committee remains concerned and deeply troubled as a result of the persistent and long-standing denial of the legitimate rights of many European citizens in Spain, most notably in the Valencian region, to their land and their homes.
“They have become the collateral victims of many rampant urbanisation programmes founded upon legislation which provides privilege and wealth for the urbaniser and which denies individuals their very integrity.”
During their visit MEPs found that town councils ‘have concocted urban development plans less because of their real requirements related to population growth and tourism, more because of what often appears as their greed and avarice’.
The report also states that those running town halls were often related ‘in some way’ to builders operating in their municipalities.
“Hardly a day goes by without news of another mayor, or town councillor, who is investigated or charged concerning allegations of corruption related to urbanisation programmes,” the report states.
The MEPs also slate unsustainable development on the Mediterranean coast.
The report states: “It is too often the spoliation of community and culture, the concretisation of the coastline, the destruction of the fragile flora and fauna and the massive enrichment of a small minority at the expense of the majority. Hillsides are invaded by a cancer of identikit dwellings not because they are needed but because they provide a profit for the urbaniser and the builder, for the architect and the lawyer.”
And the MEPs point out that many people who moved away from the coast have been caught out by Valencia’s notorious land laws.
“Moreover, many victims may not even be aware that their homes are jeopardised until the earth movers arrive,” the report reads.
“Victims of the land grab are counted in tens of thousands.”
MEPs also highlight the issue of illegal building and how thousands of expats have been caught out in rural municipalities.
“Another worrying phenomenon has emerged as more and more European citizens are buying property in good faith only to learn that, having paid their lawyers, their estate agents and their builders, not to mention their taxes, their homes are branded as illegal and that they have become the victims of the ruthless town halls which knowingly approve new construction on land which was not officially certified for that purpose,” the report reads.
“The citizen becomes the culprit; the municipal authority a passive go-between, the regional government has no responsibility and the national authorities claim they cannot interfere in spite of EU law and Treaty obligations.
“This is the Europe of freedom of movement, freedom of goods and services, freedom to exploit with impunity.”
AUN vice-president Charles Svoboda rated the report as another valuable step in the process that should result in fairer treatment of small property owners.
“It should give a boost to the legal proceedings in the European courts against these laws that have worked primarily to build immense fortunes for speculators and promoters,” he said.
“Perhaps for them the party is almost over.”
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Regional planning boss Esteban González Pons struck out at the report on Wednesday comparing the MEPs’ visit to those carried out by members of the British Empire who ‘visited the colonies to see how the good savages live’.
Sr González Pons was adamant in stating the regional government will not carry out any measures until the report is debate in the European Parliament next month.
The regional builders’ association also released a statement on Wednesday claiming MEPs’ main target was to offend and depreciate the association’s members and activities.
MEPs CONDEMN VALENCIA’S INSULTS
Spanish MEPs from all parties have strongly condemned the treatment given to the EU petitions committee’s two members on their recent visit to the Valencia Region.
Michael Cashman said that during the visit he was personally insulted and that he was upset at the way certain MEPs participated in a defamation campaign against his private life and his integrity as occurred at a press conference in Valencia.
He said that during his visit this month he was accused of having a hidden agenda and of representing pressure groups. He added that veiled threats about having accidents were also made.
Spanish MEPs reacted swiftly to Mr Cashman’s statement.
Partido Popular MEP Luis Herrero said that he publicly apologised for any mistreatment given to Mr Cashman and that his party does not defend in any way that type of behaviour.
PSOE MEP Joan Calabuig said that the insults were still continuing alluding to a statement made by the PP spokesman in Valencia who allegedly said that what the EU petitions committee was doing was nothing more than a political farce.