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Consell de Formentera unites behind proclamation on Europe's migrant crisis

signatura-codi-e--tic1At the August plenary assembly held today, members of the Consell de Formentera came together to make a statement about the migrant crisis in Europe. Councillors reaffirmed “the Consell's commitment to human rights and solidarity with society's most vulnerable”.

In the statement, councillors voiced “their full-throated rejection of the statements, attitudes and political convictions of the Italian interior minister, Matteo Salvini” concerning migrants picked up by the ship Open Arms. “The uniqueness, diversity and welcoming spirit of the people of Formentera stand in diametric opposition to the patent lack of sensitivity and empathy in Mr Salvini's words”, it continues. Councilmembers also included in the statement a plea to the Spanish government to “take a leadership role in European Union policies, pushing for migration policy that is driven by the will to safeguard the human rights of those fleeing conflict and persecution”.

Cross-party support was likewise secured for two proposals from the senior cabinet councillors. The first includes a plea to upgrade and reinforce Formentera's land and sea security corps in summer. Infrastructure, industry and interior councillor Josep Marí stressed that the seasonal spike in tourist activity made “reinforcements necessary to ensuring the safety” of Formentera's people, waters and environment.

Assembly members voted in unison to urge the Balearic ministries of environment and agriculture to take steps to improve operations at the waste water treatment plant and to coordinate them with upgrades at the osmosis and filtering plant in order to deliver a better-working irrigation pond.

Unanimity likewise marked the vote on a proposal from Sa Unió to promote 'Smoke-free beaches'—a Govern balear programme of health and environmental safeguards. According to environment councillor Antonio J Sanz, the Consell de Formentera has already taken steps to join the drive and a study will be undertaken to determine which beaches might be part of the measure next year.

An announcement was also made before assembly members regarding the temporary appointment of Daniel Azagra as head of communication.

Support for code of ethics
Minutes before the day's session began, councillors signed their pledge to uphold the Consell de Formentera's Code of Ethics and Good Governance, which received final approval at last month's full-house assembly and has already been published in the regional gazette (BOIB).

The document sets forth values and standards of behaviour for administration officials to follow while on the job. It also establishes a system for checks and revisions to ensure the initiative's success, part of a bid to make local government transparent, effective and efficient.


30 August 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell de Formentera's ethics and governance code published in regional gazette

This week, issue number 114 of the Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands (BOIB) includes publication of a code of ethics and good governance that was passed at the most recent full-house assembly of the Consell de Formentera, in July.

Labeled the Codi Ètic i de Bon Govern, the directive sets forth values and standards of behaviour for administration officials to follow while on the job. It also establishes a system for checks and revisions to ensure the initiative's success, part of a bid to make local government transparent, effective and efficient.

The measure seeks to foment a culture of integrity and instil a spirit of best practices and conduct, and covers strategies to facilitate good governance and sound public administration. The code applies not only to the Consell de Formentera but agencies associated with, or dependent on, the Consell as well.

Transparency councillor Rafa Ramírez called the Codi Ètic i de Bon Govern “unprecedented at the local level”, and described it as “a tool to shape a policy of integrity as well as the principles and directive lines of good governance”. Ramírez also called the code was “a work in progress” that would be “retooled and added to over time”.

The directives are envisioned for individuals associated with the Consell de Formentera. That includes elected members of government in their capacity as elected representatives and irrespective of their inclusion in administration posts; heads of governing bodies (as defined in the organisational rules of the Consell de Formentera); acting departmental heads for the Consell de Formentera, on account of the increased autonomy such individuals have in the exercise of their functions; local civil servants whose functions are national in scope; and individuals in government-appointed posts or positions involving special, targeted consulting.

As elected representatives, employees of the president's office and individual councillors must expressly adhere to the code of conduct, irrespective of the posts they may hold within the administration. A special commission will be created and tasked with building awareness around the new rules and ensuring compliance with them.

Billed as “open-source code”, the document will be periodically revised for improvements, or additions, that islanders consider pertinent to reinforce an image of integrity and developing islanders' trust in their local government.

22 August 2019
Communication Department
Consell de Formentera

Local and regional administrations hold first working meeting

reunio-consell-govern-1-Consell de Formentera president Alejandra Ferrer received a visit today from Pilar Costa, the secretary of the first minister's office as well as of the culture and equality ministries of the Govern balear, for the first official working meeting between the two administrations. Both sides highlighted the collaboration characterising the previous legislative term, and stressed their shared will to continue with that same momentum over the next four years. Other Formentera officials were also on hand, including Ana Juan, the administration's vice president and councillor of housing, seniors, trade and entrepreneurship; culture and education councillor Susana Labrador; and youth, citizen participation and new technologies councillor Vanessa Parellada.

President Ferrer cited the spirit of collaboration that marked the bid to regulate incoming vehicles, and held out Formentera's Nautical Sports Centre—recently presented as part of the island's Impulse for Sustainable Tourism (ITS) strategy—as a project that “unites residents and tourists behind a single activity and setting”. That setting is Estany des Peix—and Ferrer stressed the importance of safeguards for the surrounding ses Salines reserve. The president also drove home the importance of collaboration between local island governments and the administration in Madrid, reasoning that “often Formentera is affected by decisions made elsewhere”. “We've got to keep working towards environmental and social sustainability”, she said, “these are going to be our long-term guarantees for economic stability”.

The gathering also served to arrive at consensus on issues like the transformation of the Sa Senieta building into the island's museum, and the competences on equality and LGTBI issues, which the Consell took over in January.

For her part, Ms Costa said she was confident that last term's “good relations will continue to grow during this legislative session” and that an ITS-driven financing deal could be reached for the island's ever-important Nautical Sports Centre. Costa congratulated the Consell de Formentera on the equality- and LGTBI-related efforts until today and asserted that the island could count on the Govern's continued support for the Formentera museum.


21 August 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell proposes tapping tourism levy to fund Nautical Sport Centre

centre-esports-na--utics 21The Consell de Formentera has unveiled a plan to incorporate construction of the Nautical Sport Centre (CEN), including the relocation of the Municipal Sailing School, into the 2019 “Impulse Strategy” for the Sustainable Tourism Tax. The proposed allowance—1,017,505 euros—would cover the total cost of investment.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Estany des Peix, the CEN is aimed at fomenting an active brand of nautical tourism (snorkeling, sailing, rowing), and, more generally, promoting tourism beyond the traditional summer season. Plans are also in place to leverage the public building to develop environmental awareness.

Environmentally and socially, the island stands to benefit from the CEN. Not only will the centre offer a service that has been requested by local nautical sports enthusiasts, it will mean bundling similar recreational activities under the same roof, which stands to have positive knock-on effects for the tourism sector, particularly in the low season.

Consell de Formentera president Alejandra Ferrer framed the project as “a continuation of last year's bid to regulate moorage in Estany des Peix”—another initiative, bankrolled in 2018, with money from the Sustainable Tourism Levy. Ferrer stressed that the CEN will be “a place by the sea where both islanders and tourists can come together and participate in a wide array of nautical activities, whether for fitness or pleasure”.


19 August 2019
Communication Department
Consell de Formentera

Officials visit la Mola neighbourhood scorched by flames

visita-zona-afectada-incendi l1Today at noon, Alejandra Ferrer, Antonio J Sanz and Josep Marí—the administration's president, environment councillor and interior councillor, respectively—paid a visit to the area in la Mola that was hit yesterday by fire. Firefighters were redeployed to the scene this morning to sweep the area of farmland, known as Can Puig, where flames were reported shortly after ten p.m. last night.

Councillor Marí said the effort was carried out with the help of 6 CiF firefighters, 2 crew members of the Balearic forestry service and 15 Civil Protection volunteers. Each group had its own pickup, and in the case of the CiF fire brigade, they had two fire engines as well. Local law enforcement was also on hand, as were officers of la Savina's Policia Portuària. Crews had controlled the blaze by 12 midnight; three hours later, it was declared totally extinguished. Roughly three hectares of farmland were burned.

The Guardia Civil will now initiate an investigation, though early evidence suggests a lamp post was possibly the cause of the flames. President Ferrer announced she'd wait for confirmation of such causation before “holding Endesa, who are responsible for maintaining this part of la Mola's electric grid, to account for the damages”. Ferrer indicated she would also ask the power company to perform a check of the entire installation to ensure that “something as dangerous as what we had last night in la Mola doesn't happen again”.

Ferrer gave thanks to emergency response teams for their fast action: “Despite strong winds and the absence of light”—a fact she said had ruled out any air intervention—“our team of firefighters and volunteers was able to win this fight. We'd be looking at an entirely different set of circumstances had the flames reached the forest”.

No homes were evacuated as a result of the blaze. Ferrer thanked residents of the area for their cooperation.


1 August 2019
Communication department
Consell de Formentera

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