Today Formentera hosted an official commemoration of the 44th anniversary of the Constitution in the events hall of the Consell de Formentera . In a speech, President Ana Juan pointed out that "democratic coexistence is essential if we are going to keep improving the quality of life and the rights of our residents", and pushed for "the civic conscience" that characterised the generation of politicians who drafted the Constitution. "We must remember it and push Formentera in 2022 to the fore", she said.

She stressed that "at times like these, marked by the pandemic and the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine, it is essential that there is a democratic union and that governments invest in policies to protect their citizens and strengthen the social safety-net safeguarding the rights which our Constitution enshrines".

President Juan noted that regional spending in 2023 on Formentera -"expected to grow 57%", she said- and the local municipal budget "are focused on social and environmental policies, circular economy, preserving our heritage and social sustainability. This is our goal and our demand: working to improve the quality of life and the rights of our residents".

"We are managing to be heard, to make our own decisions and, as a local administration that is close to people, to act for the good and the improvement of our neighbours. As political representatives it is our obligation to make it so and if we want to leave future generations with a better and fairer Formentera we must continue working together", she said. Juan offered that "the Spanish Constitution must adapt to new realities" and that "here on Formentera we've continued to call for a senator for the island as a figure that channels the actions and decisions that affect Formentera".

The event ended with a musical performance by Xumeu Joan, teacher of the School of Music and Dance of Formentera, and student Hugo Escandell. The two played La Calera and La Llarga.

6 December 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Local Development of the Consell de Formentera reports that 24 November marked the start of two programmes, one to prepare leisure activity leaders in Catalan, another to train specialists in social-health care for dependent persons in social institutions. Both courses are organised by the Consell de Formentera.

The six young people selected in the Youth Training and Employment programme (SOIB Jove - Formació i Ocupació) of the Balearic Employment Office (SOIB) will hold their positions six months and obtain professional certification for leading educational leisure activities for children and youth. Meanwhile, the nine unemployed people selected for SOIB's programme for over-30s (SOIB 30 - Formació i Ocupació) will hold their positions for six months and get professional accreditation in social-health care for dependent people in social institutions.

Ana Juan, president and councillor of entrepreneurship of the Consell de Formentera, highlighted "the importance of training and employment programmes that open a door to employment and build skills".

The two programmes are "mixed", meaning they combine real work and theory-based/hands-on training under vocational training and apprenticeship contracts, and their purpose is to increase participants' employability by promoting new professional skills and offering work experience as part of a personalised professional growth track.

The SOIB 30 programme is funded by the SOIB with a €109,896.30 grant from the Sectorial Conference on Employment and Labour. The SOIB Jove programme is paid for in part by the SOIB with the participation of SEPE, and receives a €107,096.30 grant through the European Social Fund (2021-2027).

5 December 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

Today Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera, together with Tontxu Rodríguez, secretary of state for justice (SEJ) and Francesc Miralles, general director of institutional relations of the Balearic Government, inaugurated the second pilot project of the Municipal Offices of Justice (OJM) to be implemented throughout Spain. The first OJM was launched in the province of Albacete, and Formentera's is the first in a territory that is characterised by insularity. The inauguration was attended by councillors of the local cabinet, Balearic and state law enforcement authorities and judicial representatives of Eivissa and Formentera.

At the presentation, President Juan asserted the new office will mean "public judicial services on the island are more agile and straightforward" and "simple judicial matters no longer require travel to Eivissa or Palma". Juan stressed that "this modernisation of justice is critical for territories like ours" and made assurances that "we will not lose access to any court of instruction and will continue working to improve public services for residents, just as this new office does".

Mr Rodríguez offered, "Justice affects every area of life - personal, family and employment. And as a public service, it too needs a structure that is close enough to meet citizens' demands with immediacy". Under the Organisational Efficiency Act, an OJM will be set up in every municipality where there is no Court of First Instance. "OJMs fulfil this need and are especially relevant in those smaller localities with communication difficulties", added Rodríguez. In the words of the SEJ, "with OJMs we can rethink the means available to local offices of justice, and tailor them to the social and technological reality on the ground", adding, "the benefits are particularly clear in island territories like Formentera".

The new OJM will mean islanders can attend trials by videoconference to which they have been summoned; local police officers won't have to spend an entire day travelling, or be dependent on weather conditions to travel to Eivissa. It will also make it easier to grant power of attorney apud acta; make it possible to avail oneself of the right to legal aid; validate degrees obtained overseas and more. Rodríguez traced the pilot project's coming to fruition to "intense collaboration" from the Government Chamber of the High Court of Justice, the Government Secretariat of the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands (TSJIB), Courts of Eivissa, staff of the Justice of the Peace Court of Formentera, Civil Registry, and Territorial Management Office of the Ministry of Justice and its teams. To achieve it, the SEJ held up new technological equipment and reinforced personnel at the Justice of the Peace of Formentera. The additional staff will collaborate during roll-out of the OMJ so that the residents of the island do not need to travel to seats of the judiciaries of Eivissa or Palma to handle legal matters.

Project launch
During the presentation, attendees saw demonstrations of some of the services now available at the Justice Office of Formentera. Those present at the Justice of Peace of Formentera connected via videoconference with Pilar Llop, Minister of Justice at the Government Delegation in Palma, where the Minister is on an official visit. Later, one individual took a sworn nationality oath by video and a connection was established with the Office for the Care of Victims of Violent Crimes and Crimes against Sexual Freedom. As well, officers of the Guardia Civil tested the connection with an Eivissa courtroom. Fruit of an agreement with the Ministries of Justice and Interior, the new system means witness and defendant no longer need be in the courtroom together when charges are brought based on witness reports. Finally, presenters demoed a remote work station, which enabled an official of the Administration of Justice of the Court of First Instance number 5 of Eivissa to work from Formentera.

1 December 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera

At 7.30pm, Friday 2 December, Centre Antoni Tur 'Gabrielet' will pull back the curtain on a display of works which the Official Architects' College of the Balearic Islands named winners of the eighth Eivissa-Formentera Architecture Awards (2016-2020). The exhibition will be on view 11.00am to 2.00pm and 4.00pm to 6.00pm, Monday to Saturday until 16 December. Monday mornings and Tuesday afternoons it will be closed.

1 December 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera