The Benidorm and Costa Blanca Association of Hotel Owners (Hosbec), and the Association of Property Developers and Urban Planners are meeting today to discuss the visit by a delegation from the European Parliament which will inspect urban policy in the Communidad Valenciana. This is the second visit made by EP delegates investigating the constitutionality of the controversial Valencian land laws. However Hosbec claims that the inspection forms part of a continuing campaign against tourism in the region (a claim which property owners adversly affected by the LRAU could find quite offensive). The European delegation, led by Marcin Libicki, will begin by meeting property owners affected by the LRAU land laws in Orihuela.
Tomorrow the delegation will visit Torrevieja, Rojales, Catral, Tibi, Parcent and Benissa, where it will meet more owners whose properties have been affected by the LRAU.
On Friday the delegation will visit Xábia and Valencia, where it will meet Esteban González Pons, a Local Government councillor in charge of urban development and member of the ruling PP Valencian government, who has spoken out publicly against the visit.
Hosbec has accused the visit of damaging the economic and social interests of the Communidad Valenciana and diminishing tourism in the province. It also views the visit as part of a campaign by certain political groups against tourism in the Communidad Valenciana and blames the Socialist Executive.
The Association for Property Developers together with Urban planners has complained of having requested a meeting with the delegation but receiving no reply. They also question the fact that the EU has sent politicians instead of technicians if the question over LRAU was technical.
The Association’s legal representative has gone as far as claiming that the legislation protecting property owners in the Valencian Region actually goes too far in recognising too many rights and so affected free competition.
In the face of so much opposition from hoteliers and property developers, it will be interesting to see how the visit unfolds and if the delegates are successful in persuading the European Parliament to put further pressure on the Regional Government in Valencia to change the LRAU Law.
Related:
Valencian Land Laws unconstitutional according to the European Commission
