House owners on the Spanish coast deprived of their property rights after Spain’s 1988 Coastal Law took effect made their case to the MEPs of the European Union Petitions Committee on Monday and Tuesday.
MEPs questioned whether the law should have been applied retroactively and stressed that expropriated owners must be fairly compensated. They are now to seek further clarifications from the Spanish government and the European Commission.
Since the 1988 “Ley de Costas” coastal law took effect, forbidding the construction of private property within 100 metres of the sea, “96% of owners’ appeals against expropriation have been totally or partially rejected” by the courts. For the first 20 years the Ley de Costas led a sleepy existence, until the present government led by Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero took office, that is. Cristina Narbona, his environmental minister, then made haste implementing the rules with illegal hotels being demolished and domestic plots expropriated.
