Mallorca wants to limit vehicles and seeks the endorsement of Europe
The Council of Mallorca has presented to the European Commission the proposal that foresees restricting the entry of non-resident cars, applying a fee and limiting rental vehicles
PalmaMallorca wants to set a limit on the entry of vehicles to the island and is seeking European endorsement for the regulation currently being processed by the Balearic Parliament. The president of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, has presented the proposal this Wednesday to the Director of Tourism of the Directorate-General for Mobility of the European Commission, Mona Björklund, within the framework of the Connecting Europe Days conference taking place in Brussels.
The proposal, approved by the Council last June 5th and currently under parliamentary processing, plans to limit the entry of non-resident vehicles, establish a fee, and set a maximum number of rental cars in circulation. The island institution's intention is for the regulation to come into force by the next tourist season.
Galmés explained to the European official that the measure is a response to the increased pressure of vehicles on Mallorca. According to the carrying capacity study commissioned by the Council, in 2023, nearly 400,000 vehicles entered through the island's ports, 108% more than in 2017.
The President of the Council has defended that the measures are in line with European principles of balance between tourist flows and environmental and territorial sustainability, especially in island territories. The proposal takes as a reference the regulations that are already applied in Ibiza and Formentera.
After the meeting, Björklund stated that the Council of Mallorca's model of responsible and sustainable tourism will be taken as an example of best practices in the first European tourism strategy that the European Commission will present in November.
The regulation, in any case, still has to complete the processing in the Balearic Parliament before it can come into effect.
A 60-kilometer plan for pedestrians and bicycles
In the same framework, Galmés has also presented the Civic Roads Plan of the Council of Mallorca to the European Union's Mobility Actions awards, which recognize sustainable mobility measures and strategies.
The plan is endowed with 45 million euros and provides for the creation of a network of 60 kilometers of lanes for pedestrians and bicycles that connect the municipalities of Mallorca.