Ecologists Report Government to Anti-Corruption Prosecutor
The environmental group Turcón-Ecologistas en Acción has filed a report with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid against the Government of the Canary Islands for failing to collect €17 million in environmental fines. The action follows the latest official report from the Canary Islands Audit Office, which details a “structural failure” in the financial and revenue management of several government departments.
Systemic Failures and Lost Public Funds
“Many of these fines have expired or are at risk of expiring due to a lack of follow-up and enforcement,” stated the ecologist collective. “This represents a direct loss of public money, which by law should have been allocated to the protection, restoration, and improvement of the natural environment in the Canary Islands.” The Audit Office warns of “serious and repeated deficiencies in the management of sanctions: improper annulments and unjustified cancellations, undue payments, and a systematic absence of control over the collection process, with clear indications of harm to the public purse.”
A Culture of Impunity for Offenders
Turcón highlights the systematic failure to collect fines and the complete ineffectiveness of the penalty system. This, they argue, “fosters impunity for offenders and allows fines to accumulate without being enforced, with no measures taken to restore the breached legality, leading to serious consequences for the Canary Islands’ territory and environment.” The group insists this is not about isolated errors but a sustained structural problem. “Millions of euros are lost, environmental damage is not restored, and a message of impunity is sent,” they added.
Political and Administrative Failure Alleged
The ecologists emphasise that this constitutes a simultaneous political, managerial, executive, and administrative failure. They describe it as being “in thrall to the dereliction of duties,” and point to other potentially criminal considerations such as “disloyal administration of public assets, administrative misconduct by omission, and embezzlement in its form of disloyal management.”
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