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Spanish land grab to be investigated

16th February 2007 | back to article listings BACK    print this article PRINT

Thousands of Spanish property owners pushed to the edge of bankruptcy by the infamous 'land-grab law' could finally get their voices heard as opposition party Partido Popular (PP) chose not to boycott the European parliament's investigation into the matter.

Despite the bringing in the law in the form of the LRAU when they were in power, the PP are now willing to listen to British expats' claims that their human rights have been breached.

Ratified in 1994, the LRAU applied to part of the country's ever popular east coast. The provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellion were affected as well as their respective inland areas.

The law stated that private property owners should not be allowed to block community projects and developments that would benefit the public.

Therefore, if the authorities deem private property in rural areas to be blocking a public development, they can force the owner to sell all or part of their land or property at less than the market rate.

Since the PP was voted out of power, the current socialist government has pursued similar measures, this time in the form of the LUV, affecting other areas of the country.

But last year, the European Commission put pressure on the Spanish government to stop its actions and now a Parliamentary Delegation from Brussels will investigate the law's effects on British property owners.

Despite only affecting a small proportion of British property owners in Spain, the law has caused much bad press for the market as a whole and there are those within the Spanish housing industry who believe it is time to scrap it in order to restore property investors' confidence.

Sir Robert Atkins, Conservative coordinator of the European Parliament's Committee investigating the land grab, said: "The strength of feeling amongst Britons living in Spain is very high and I want the PP to hear the complaints and to respond to the representations which I support unequivocally.

"They were refusing to participate but I have prevailed upon them to listen and to act. Time will tell as to whether the situation improves but at least British expats will be able to confront the politicians themselves.

He added: "The only way that change will occur is for the EU to prevent the flagrant breaches of human rights that are being perpetrated in Spain by enforcing European law with maximum determination and speed."

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