Administrative Uncertainty

Chiringuitos in Formentera

Formentera, October 30, 2025

With the end of the tourist season, Formentera’s eight beach kiosks once again become the focus of administrative debate due to non-compliance with the obligation to dismantle their installations during the winter of 2025. The ongoing lack of agreement between the Consell Insular, the Balearic Government, and the Ministry for Ecological Transition continues to create uncertainty over which authority is responsible for modifying the terms of the administrative concessions governing the operation of the chiringuitos.

As of Friday, October 31, the summer season is officially over, which also brings an end to the obligation for these establishments to open daily. From November 1 through the end of April, the kiosks will only operate on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, thereby limiting their activity to weekends and specific dates.

During the previous winter, none of the concession holders complied with the regulation requiring them to dismantle the kiosks between January 15 and February 15. As a result, the Consell Insular imposed fines of 1,500 euros. At the same time, the Balearic Government launched administrative proceedings that remain unresolved, with no definitive ruling issued.

Both the business owners running the chiringuitos and the Formentera Department of Environment continue to stress the need to revise the regulations to avoid the annual dismantling starting in 2026. They argue that the recurring removal and reinstallation of structures would have a significant environmental impact on the island’s coastline.

Major administrative mess

The main obstacle to advancing toward regulatory changes is the lack of clarity about which level of government has the authority to request amendments from the Ministry. The Consell Insular maintains that it is the Balearic Government’s responsibility to handle the process, while the regional administration argues that the request must come from the Consell, as the direct concession holder.

The Directorate General for Coasts and the Coastline, under the Balearic Government, explained that the dismantling requirements were part of the original agreement granted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, and that any changes must be processed through the Consell. However, according to the island’s Environment Councillor, Verónica Castelló, the request sent earlier this year remains stalled due to ongoing proceedings related to the previous non-compliance.

Call for tougher sanctions

Formentera’s MP, Llorenç Córdoba, took the floor in the Balearic Parliament to demand faster law enforcement from the regional government and greater transparency regarding the open cases. He called for the publication of investigation results, the imposition of more deterrent sanctions, and the possible revocation of concessions in cases of repeated violations.
Córdoba criticized the lack of change despite the fines issued by the Consell, pointing out that business owners are already speaking of another refusal to dismantle their chiringuitos next winter. According to the MP, the 1,500-euro fine is inadequate and “more profitable than complying with the rules.”

Outlook for the coming winter

Unless the administrations reach an agreement, concession holders will be required to dismantle their installations between January 15 and February 15 next year. The Consell’s request to temporarily suspend this obligation was denied by the Directorate General for Coasts, which reiterated that the concession conditions remain fully in effect.

Thus, Formentera’s chiringuitos end the summer season entangled in yet another episode of institutional uncertainty, pending clarification from the Balearic Government, the Consell Insular of Formentera, and the Ministry regarding their respective responsibilities — and the achievement of a stable agreement that ensures both economic activity and compliance with concession rules, while protecting the island’s coastline.