A petition about urban planning abuse in Spain submitted to the EU Petitions Committee by the AUAN is to be heard on Thursday, the 14th of April in Brussels.Michael Cashman MEP
AUAN President, Maura Hillen has been invited to speak to the committee to put forward the case of innocent homeowners who, having bought their property in good faith, are now faced with the loss of their home without hope of compensation or who live without electricity and water or who face having to pay their developers debts.
“These abuses contravene to the EU Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and these laws must be respected and complied with by Spain “, argues Mrs Hillen.
Labour MEP Michael Cashman has been a long-time supporter of victims of Spanish property laws and will be welcoming the petitioners at the European Parliament.
“I have literally received thousands of letters and emails from people, across Europe, who are affected by the many property-related problems in differing parts of Spain . This week we will once again shed the light on these scandals and support the courageous victims who have brilliantly organised themselves against never-ending abuses”, said the West Midlands MEP.
Helen Prior, whose home was demolished in 2008 by the regional government of Andalucia, will also address the committee in support of this petition. Helen and Len Prior currently live in their converted garage whilst fighting for compensation through the courts.
As it is the case for thousands of others, the Spanish court system has not produced any results for the petitioners.
“We, in the European Parliament, from all the different parties, have been calling for years for solutions to these scandalous problems ranging from a moratorium on new urbanisations and demolitions to infringement cases from the European Commission. However, nothing can be done without the cooperation of the Spanish national and regional governments. It is high time for the victims to be compensated and we will keep up the pressure until they are”, said the Labour Spokesperson for the Petitions Committee.