Reforms in Mallorca Could Mean Big Changes For You

The Mallorca Development Agency (MDA) has launched a large scale renovation programme, codenamed 'Reforms in Mallorca', to improve the quality of life of residents in the resort area of Mallorca. Mijas Mallorca is an up market resort with a great choice of accommodation but has suffered from some poor regeneration work. Many of the older buildings and the lack of good regeneration have resulted in a large fall in the standard of accommodation available. One of the key recommendations of the MDA is that all newly built homes should be inclusive of a multi-fuel cooker and fridge, with provision for washing machines, dryers and plumbing throughout the property. Another recommendation is that each resident should be offered a subsidised daily rent as well as free transport and a local public Transport office within walking distance. All developments should adhere to Costa law and the rules of the Costa Republic's Solicitudido programme.

As part of the reforms in Mallorca, all new properties must be accredited by the Costa del Sol's Environmental Protection Agency (EEP), which requires the inclusion of a 'Terra Mitica 'label on the building. All projects are required to submit annual monitoring reports to the ECPO, who assesses these projects and recommends whether or not to approve them. In recent years the Conservation Plan for Mallorca, issued by the Environmental Agency of the Mallorca (CALAP), has been greatly expanded to cover all of the main areas of the island. The CALAP includes a biodiversity strategy and has specific plans for energy, transport and tourism.

Reforms in Mallorca will concentrate on three key issues: energy, transport and tourism. Energy reform proposals are aimed at improving Mallorca's dependency on energy supplied by external sources, whilst transport links and tourist infrastructure improvements are aimed at ensuring that visitors have easy access to all of the main resorts. Reforms in Mallorca will see an increased emphasis upon improving reliability of the energy supplied by mainland Spain. The lack of interconnectivity has meant that most of Mallorca's electricity is supplied by British companies E.ON, British Gas and British Airways. These companies all have bases in Britain, so any problems affecting electricity supply could be hugely damaging for Mallorca and its people.

Another important reform is that the construction company registered in Mallorca, whoever the builder is, will only be allowed to build on land owned by the local authority. This is designed to restrict construction to the relevant facilities, roads, public places of worship, as well as certain designated outdoor space. Reforms in Mallorca are also expected to introduce a 'fixed price' market for the entire project, meaning that the same construction company, once agreed, will be able to guarantee the same prices for the same works all over the island.

Reforms in Mallorca will also allow a construction company to be registered by the local authority. This allows that company to submit tenders for works which it offers, meaning that clients can get hold of one company and have others submitting offers for them. In addition to this, the authority will be able to monitor the tendering process and ensure that there are no irregularities during it. For instance, it can request details from any prospective construction company on the basis of which it will decide whether to offer a contract or not. This means that it will be much easier for a client to compare different companies and choose one which they think is best suited to their needs.

Reforms in Mallorca are also set to make changes to the way in which lawyers are permitted to represent their clients in court. Under the current rules, it has been usual for lawyers to have their clients sign a 'contingency fee agreement', promising them that the lawyer will only receive payment if they win the case. Under reform in Mallorca this will not be the case, as the lawyer's contingency fee will now be subject to Article 118 of the Civil Code of Spain. This means that if the client loses the case, the lawyer has no need to ever get paid, instead of the payment will be made by the party who lost the case to another party. Click here for more details about Reformas en Mallorca