EU Commission Executive Vice-President Séjourné has taken a firm stance on Spain's concession granting practices, signaling a push for transparent and impartial procedures aligned with EU legislation. This move could ruffle feathers in the Spanish public sector and among businesses holding long-term coastal concessions, sparking debates about national sovereignty over maritime domains versus EU regulatory standards.
This position answers a parliamentary question from Spanish MEP Nicolás González Casares of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), who queried the Commission on the legality of Spain's practice of automatically extending concessions on maritime-terrestrial public domains for up to 75 years, as permitted by Spanish law of 2013.
The Commission's response references a prior reasoned opinion declaring Spain's legislation—from its 1988, 2013, and 2014 iterations—as falling short of the Services Directive and the EU's freedom of establishment principle. Concrete legal critiques are levied at the absence of impartial, transparent concession award procedures and the allowance of excessively long automatic extensions.
While lacking new numeric targets or institutional reforms, the Commission's policy orientation firmly pushes for stricter adherence to EU rules, emphasizing transparent, competitive public tenders for concessions. This approach balances the EU goal of market liberalization and competition over Spain's prior national practice, which favored extended concession rights without sufficient oversight.
public authorities in Spain face pressure to overhaul procedures, potentially increasing administrative complexity; concession-holding businesses lose the security of automatic, lengthy renewals; new entrants gain opportunities through competitive tenders; and EU consumers may benefit from fairer market conditions. This transition's effects could be significant for coastal economic activity and governance.
As customary, the Commission continues constructive dialogue with Spanish officials, signaling ongoing infringement proceedings—expected to influence future policy alignment and enforcement in this domain within weeks to months.
← Atlas › News › Industry, Innovation and Internal Market