Sunday, July 11, 2004
The following article appeared in this week's Costa Blanca News:
EU REPORT RAPS LAND LAW
'Unscrupulous politicians and businessmen' blamed for land-grab chaos
By Newsdesk Editor DANNY COLLINS
A RECENT FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE LAND GRAB LAW (LRAU) BY MEPS HAS PUBLISHED A SCATHING REPORT ON GREED AND CORRUPTION WHICH MAY NOW THREATEN EU SUBSIDIES TO SPAIN.
The team of three MEPs from Brussels, headed by David Lowe, Head of Division, Committee on Petitions, spent four days in the Valencian Region at the end of May in answer to a petition presented before the European Commission by Charles Svoboda on behalf of action group Abusos Urbanísticos-No.
The 6,000 word report, which has been sent to the Valencian Delegation in Brussels prior to translation to other EU languages, speaks of the original intentions of the LRAU, but states 'there is no doubt that the application of the law has led to a serious abuse of the most elementary rights of many thousands of European citizens either by design or deceit.'
An ominous note for regional government is the observation that 'EU money was clearly being used in support of urban developments, in effect subsidising the developer'. This would 'need to be investigated further by the European Commission, as will the use of cohesion funds in such developments'.
The EU fact-finders also accuse property developers of being the 'unscrupulous beneficiaries of the law's application' and cite rumours of 'political corruption and links between (the developer) and local authorities'.
The final observation of the mission is that 'the incredible loopholes in the law have enabled unscrupulous politicians and businessmen to obtain huge financial profit on the backs of many vulnerable and unsuspecting persons'.
In conclusion, it recommends a moratorium on any proposed new land development 'until the existing legislation is adapted to conform with European legislation and the fundamental rights of European citizenry to their property' and calls for 'consideration to an appropriate level of compensation for those people who have already had their property confiscated or destroyed and been denied due process'.
Valencian regional government must now take appropriate steps to conform to the EU recommendations or face legal action, possible subsidy embargoes and heavy fines from Brussels.
The first part of the transcript of the EU mission's 6,000 word report will be published in next week's Costa Blanca News. Don't miss it.
EU REPORT RAPS LAND LAW
'Unscrupulous politicians and businessmen' blamed for land-grab chaos
By Newsdesk Editor DANNY COLLINS
A RECENT FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE LAND GRAB LAW (LRAU) BY MEPS HAS PUBLISHED A SCATHING REPORT ON GREED AND CORRUPTION WHICH MAY NOW THREATEN EU SUBSIDIES TO SPAIN.
The team of three MEPs from Brussels, headed by David Lowe, Head of Division, Committee on Petitions, spent four days in the Valencian Region at the end of May in answer to a petition presented before the European Commission by Charles Svoboda on behalf of action group Abusos Urbanísticos-No.
The 6,000 word report, which has been sent to the Valencian Delegation in Brussels prior to translation to other EU languages, speaks of the original intentions of the LRAU, but states 'there is no doubt that the application of the law has led to a serious abuse of the most elementary rights of many thousands of European citizens either by design or deceit.'
An ominous note for regional government is the observation that 'EU money was clearly being used in support of urban developments, in effect subsidising the developer'. This would 'need to be investigated further by the European Commission, as will the use of cohesion funds in such developments'.
The EU fact-finders also accuse property developers of being the 'unscrupulous beneficiaries of the law's application' and cite rumours of 'political corruption and links between (the developer) and local authorities'.
The final observation of the mission is that 'the incredible loopholes in the law have enabled unscrupulous politicians and businessmen to obtain huge financial profit on the backs of many vulnerable and unsuspecting persons'.
In conclusion, it recommends a moratorium on any proposed new land development 'until the existing legislation is adapted to conform with European legislation and the fundamental rights of European citizenry to their property' and calls for 'consideration to an appropriate level of compensation for those people who have already had their property confiscated or destroyed and been denied due process'.
Valencian regional government must now take appropriate steps to conform to the EU recommendations or face legal action, possible subsidy embargoes and heavy fines from Brussels.
The first part of the transcript of the EU mission's 6,000 word report will be published in next week's Costa Blanca News. Don't miss it.
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