Today Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera, and Dr José Reyes Moreno, president of the Balearic Islands chapter of the Spanish Association to Stop Cancer (Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, AECC), signed a collaboration agreement with which the island's government joins an AECC campaign called #BreatheFree (#RespiroLibre) aiming to change our everyday spaces to encourage healthy lifestyle habits and teach people about well-being. Hence, on Formentera, spaces like playgrounds, schools and sports centres that are typically used by younger islanders will be signposted to raise awareness and sensitise the population.

In parallel, the aim is to promote life without tobacco, remove the aura of normality around tobacco consumption, reinforce role models for young people and care for the environment. This Thursday a presentation was made around 'Smoke-Free Spaces'. President Juan; Dr Reyes; Jaume Bellido and Ana Belén Velasco, vice president and manager of the Balearic chapter of the AECC, respectively, and Pepita Gabaldar, president of the AECC's Regional Board for Formentera, all attended.

President Juan stressed "the importance of smoke-free spaces on Formentera to raising awareness among islanders, especially young ones, about the need to eliminate these habits from society". Finally, the president applauded the AECC's "constant work to prevent cancer on the island".

For his part, Dr Reyes affirmed, "We are working together to denormalise and reduce smoking among the population, particularly youth, to prevent them from starting". As the AECC president in the Balearics asserted, "this will mean, among other measures, multiplying the spaces where people can breathe freely so that no one is forced to breathe this smoke that is so harmful to our health".

The noxious effects of tobacco
Tobacco is the major risk factor for cancer and the data are conclusive: one out of every three cases of cancer is tobacco-related and involves someone who smokes, has smoked or who has been exposed to second-hand smoke; more than a dozen types of cancer are associated with this risk factor and it is responsible for more than 80% of lung and laryngeal cancers as well as between 30% and 50% of bladder, oropharyngeal and esophageal cancers and cancers of the mouth.

14 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

·The Consell and Balearic Government have signed a land transfer protocol to construct a new public housing development on the island.

Today Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera; Josep Marí, mobility and housing minister of the Balearic Government, and Rafael Ramírez, the island's housing councillor, announced the launch of Formentera's new Housing Office and signed the land transfer protocol to build a new, ten-unit development of public housing in Sant Francesc. Alejandra Ferrer, vice-president of the Consell, and other cabinet councillors also attended the presentation.

The new office is a space where islanders will receive free support on housing issues. This service will centralise all the information related to housing, from rental subsidies to specialised assistance on leasing contracts and more.

President Juan called the opening "an important step to help islanders in need of social, technical and legal advice". "We are promoting public policies and initiatives to provide solutions to people who need housing on Formentera", she continued. She also pointed out that with the signing of the protocol, "we are adding a new social housing project on the island".

Minister Marí explained: "It is great news to offer people this service, particularly on an island like Formentera where the real estate market is highly pensioned". He added, "to ensure access to decent housing we need the involvement of all institutions, and with the Consell de Formentera, we have found it".

Councillor Ramírez also hailed the opening of the office, which will offer an essential service for the people of Formentera, and announced that "next week rental assistance for the year 2022 will be announced to the tune of €70,000". The councillor also pointed out that work is under way on an initiative to pool sustainable rental housing and two studies have been commissioned on the island's housing market.

New development
In addition, the transfer of a plot of land to build a new development in Sant Francesc, was also announced today. The Balearic Institute of Housing (IBAVI) will build a ten-unit development of social rental housing. This housing is intended for specific groups with temporary housing needs, typically young people and the elderly. Hence, intergenerational coexistence will allow for community spaces where inhabitants can carry out their daily activities.

The IBAVI built a 14-home development in Sant Ferran, which has been a pioneer in the new system of sustainable architecture that the IBAVI spearheads. Another development of 17 public housing units in Sant Ferran is currently in bidding, and today's protocol adds ten homes to the public housing stock on the island. This is a very significant increase, with a total of 41 more public housing units in the pipeline by the end of term.

11 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Formentera's second Employment and Enterprise Fair, held today, has brought together fifteen companies and nine entities based on Formentera at the Jardí de ses Eres and Centre Antoni Tur 'Gabrielet', in an initiative aimed at "connecting companies and workers, as well as promoting training and making it accessible to job seekers, particularly young ones", said Ana Juan, president and enterprise councillor of the Consell de Formentera. All told, 380 job interviews were held at the stands of the 15 participating companies, while participating entities logged 467 consultations.

The president highlighted "the involvement of local companies and various entities in this fair, which has meant an increase in job offers and training workshops since last year". Stands this year are up to 26, from 18 last year, with participants including 15 companies, 9 entities, Formentera Local Police and Formentera Fire Fighters. "The positive experience of 2022 encouraged us to continue with this initiative, which is part of Formentera Impulsa", said President Juan. "The continuity of measures like is key to making our job market more stable and improving the competence of companies and the training of our workers".

Antoni Baos, director of vocational training of the Balearic Government, gave an overview of the opportunities offered this year at the fair, "for students and people who essentially want an island with more resources and possibilities".

The day also featured five training and entrepreneurship workshops for young people and adults, and an aperitif was also served by students of the cooking and catering programme at IES Marc Ferrer.

The second Employment and Enterprise Fair is organised jointly with IES Marc Ferrer and the Employment Service of the Balearic Islands (SOIB), with the collaboration of the Balearic Institute for Business Innovation (IDI), the Chamber of Commerce and the island's association small and medium-sized businesses (Pimef) and the participation of local companies.

9 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Today Ana Juan, president of the Consell de Formentera, received Rafa Ruiz, mayor of Eivissa, in a meeting where the two discussed regulating incoming cruise ships on Eivissa and their potential impact on Formentera. President Juan cast the Ajuntament d'Eivissa's proposed reorganisation as "an admirable initiative because it can relieve the strain of one-day visitors that we have on Formentera in the middle of summer and will distribute these tourists in the pre- and post-season months." Juan asserted that "working to regulate their arrival is beneficial both for the tourists themselves and the companies on the island that cater to them."

In this regard, Mayor Ruiz said that the Ajuntament d'Eivissa's proposal "is being worked on together with the business sector and environmental associations" and that "the Pimeef [Small and Medium-sized Businesses of Eivissa and Formentera] will study the impact of cruise ship tourism on the neighbouring island", adding, "It is very important that all administrations and stakeholders work together on this reordering."

6 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera