The Ministry of the Environment has initiated the expropriation of the land occupied by part of the hotel on the beach of El Algarrobico (Almeria). The hotel is located within the easement area of the maritime-terrestrial public domain, in accordance with the recently approved demarcation.

The delimitation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain cannot be understood as an “aggression”. It is a file in which the Central Administration, with the participation and collaboration of the affected administrations and the neighboring and interested citizens, recognizes the assets with the characteristics established in the Coastal Law and that, therefore, belong to all citizens and that are protected by the Ministry of the Environment.

On November 17, the ministerial order of approval of a demarcation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain in Almeria was published in the BOE. This is the demarcation that corresponds to the stretch of coast between the beach of El Lacón and the border with the municipality of Mojacar, which includes the beach of El Algarrobico, in the municipality of Carboneras, whose file was approved on November 8, 2005 (BOE of November 17, 2005).

The execution of this file had been authorized in August 1995; It was not until June 1997 that the act of shoring was carried out, in which the demarcation line was shown to the interested parties on the ground. It should be noted that the act of shoring is followed by a process of allegations that concludes with the approval of the definitive demarcation, administrative procedures that last approximately a year, which means that the demarcation could have been completed much earlier. Therefore, it is evident the absolute absence of interest on the part of the ministerial heads of the governments of the Popular Party with regard to the processing of this file, which could have been completed years ago, thus avoiding the construction of a part of the hotel in El Algarrobico in a protection zone.

Since the beginning of this legislature, Cristina Narbona has promoted the streamlining of demarcation files, particularly in areas where there is a greater risk of occupation of the coastline due to intense urban activity. This is the case of the province of Almeria where, in March 2004, only 50% of the maritime-terrestrial public domain was demarcated

Of the approximately 10,000 kilometres of maritime-terrestrial public domain on the Spanish coast, 70 per cent is demarcated. With regard to the province of Almeria, the percentage demarcated is only 50.3 percent, that is, 121.11 kilometers of its 240.62 kilometers of coastline, having launched all the works and measures necessary to complete the demarcation of the entire Almeria coastline within two years

These actions are part of the policy of the Ministry of the Environment to recover the Spanish coast, respecting the environmental and landscape characteristics of each area and facilitating the use and enjoyment of the coast for all citizens.