The Parliament of the Balearic Islands has approved the Decree Law on extraordinary and urgent measures related to the capital status of Palma and Ibiza, Menorca as a Biosphere Reserve, and the inter-island transfer of waste from Formentera to Ibiza. The decree establishes that a minimum annual transfer of €33 million will be allocated across these initiatives.
Specifically, €50 million will be transferred to the Palma City Council, corresponding to the years 2024 and 2025, fulfilling what Vice President and Minister of Economy, Finance, and Innovation, Antoni Costa, described as a political commitment.
TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
The Balearic Parliament approves a decree law to transfer €34.4 million for capital funding to Palma and Ibiza, Menorca Biosphere Reserve, and Formentera waste management
The capital law of Palma has been permanently modified to enable a more agile and flexible funding system from the regional government. This includes a guaranteed annual transfer of €25 million, in addition to a minimum of 16% of territorialised investment in Palma from the Balearic Autonomous Community budget.
Similarly, amendments to the capital law of Ibiza and the Menorca Biosphere Reserve law ensure minimum annual allocations of €4 million to the Ibiza City Council and €4 million to the Menorca Island Council (Consell de Menorca).
Vice President Costa described the approval as a “historic moment”, emphasising that, unlike before, the capital status and biosphere recognition will now come with direct, specific financial allocations to each institution, allowing them greater autonomy in selecting and managing their projects.
The decree also modifies legislation to enable co-financing from the Balearic Government for these measures, even when competencies are shared or funding originates from national or EU sources. The aim is to support investments or spending at the municipal or island level, while still maintaining regional oversight.
In addition, Costa clarified that capital projects may also qualify as sustainable tourism initiatives, but this will not prevent the three institutions from submitting additional proposals under the Sustainable Tourism Tax framework.
The decree further amends Decree Law 6/2022, extending the period in which certain public sector employees—those who obtained permanent status through stabilisation processes without the required Catalan language certification—can meet language requirements. This ensures job security and continued public service delivery.
Finally, a new provision has been added to the Balearic Civil Service Law, adjusting the Catalan language requirements for health service auxiliary staff, such as hospital porters, so that language expectations align more closely with their job functions.