The nautical sector highlights the Port Law reform as an opportunity to modernize port infrastructure

The sector trusts that the new regulation will strengthen legal certainty and facilitate the modernization of ports and shipyards in the Balearic Islands, generating employment and promoting social and sporting access to the sea.

The representative associations of the Balearic nautical sector — ACNB, Marinas de Baleares, AENIB, ANEN, Balearic Marine Cluster, CAEB, AEBRE and AECIB — have expressed their satisfaction with the approval in Parliament of the amendment to the Port Law, a long-awaited reform that strengthens legal stability and encourages investment in shipyards, marinas, yacht clubs, and nautical facilities.

The organizations highlight that the new regulation recognizes the role of current concession holders, who for decades have contributed to the maintenance and modernization of key infrastructures, while also generating employment, economic activity, and promoting nautical training and sport.

They also value the fact that the reform consolidates a legislative approach that provides adequate concession periods to undertake investments, improve services, guarantee the sustainability of facilities, adapt to environmental requirements, and preserve the social and sporting function of boating. This same logic has inspired various amendments to Spanish national port legislation in recent years, clarifying and supporting the possibility of extending and renewing concessions when legal requirements are met.

The sector stresses the importance of ensuring that the implementation of the new regulation maintains the principles that inspired it — stability, legal certainty, investment, and modernization — allowing long-term project planning and reinforcing boating as a strategic activity for the Balearic Islands.

For years, many concession holders have had to face uncertainty, a lack of uniform criteria, and changing interpretations that, in many cases, have hindered investment planning and long-term business decision-making. This situation has impacted not only concession holders themselves, but also users, workers, athletes, sailing schools, local suppliers, and municipalities that depend directly or indirectly on these facilities.

For this reason, the associations trust that this new phase will help consolidate a more stable, predictable, and collaborative framework, promoting greater coordination between public administrations and concession holders, while encouraging more modern, sustainable, efficient, and socially open port facilities. A climate of greater legal certainty will also facilitate new investments, improved services, and the strengthening of the economic and social fabric linked to nautical and port activities.

The approval of the Port Law reform marks a turning point for the Balearic nautical sector. The legislator’s message is clear: nautical and sports port facilities need stability and legal certainty in order to plan, invest, and continue modernizing.

Therefore, the nautical associations trust that Ports de les Illes Balears and the Balearic Port Authority will apply the law in line with its intended purpose: allowing extensions when the required conditions are met, when investment commitments exist, when services of general interest are guaranteed, and when the continuity of the concession holder benefits port activity, the local economy, sport, and society.

The associations hope that this new phase will encourage closer collaboration between administrations and concession holders, promoting more modern, sustainable, and socially open marinas and shipyards that continue to serve as drivers of economic activity, sport, training, and citizens’ connection with the sea.