Canary Islands' Security Debated at Majorero Technology Park
The Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Waters of the Government of the Canary Islands concluded this morning in Fuerteventura the final of seven professional debate sessions on the forthcoming Canary Civil Protection System Law. The sessions, organized by the Directorate General of Emergencies, were held on every island to gather the opinions and suggestions of those currently working within the system. A further analysis meeting with emergency professionals is scheduled for December.
Around 200 professionals took part, including representatives from public administrations, local police, island and municipal civil‑protection services, state security forces, the Guardia Civil and staff from the Canary Government.
The event was hosted at the Fuerteventura Technology Park and was attended by Carlos Martín Esquivel, Deputy Director General of Emergencies of the Canary Government. The debate, designed and coordinated by the public company Gesplan, was structured around five thematic blocks.
The Five Thematic Blocks
- Current normative and competence framework – analysis of the legal basis that will underpin the new law, with input on models from other autonomous communities, possible sanction regimes, the role of citizens and inter‑administrative coordination.
- Organizational and planning structure – review of the existing civil‑protection organization in the Canary Islands to identify improvement objectives.
- Management and response capacity – discussion of the system’s ability to respond to current and future risks and the efficient use of resources.
- Culture of self‑protection and prevention – focus on citizen involvement, communication strategies and preventive education.
- Social and economic recovery – criteria and tools for restoring communities after an emergency.
The participatory process aims to ensure that the document presented for the final political debate reflects the full range of opinions and sensitivities of those who operate daily in the Canary emergency system. These needs are diverse and tied to the unique social and geographic characteristics of each island.
Strengthening the Regional Emergency System
The new law seeks to reinforce the regional emergency system and align it with both national and EU regulations, as well as with emerging risks linked to climate change. It must establish a single, coordinated framework that incorporates all administrations, private entities and citizens, while being tailored to the particularities of the archipelago.
In parallel, the Canary Government is advancing the creation of the future Canary Emergency Agency, which already has the backing of the regional Parliament. The 2026 regional budget allocates an initial €500,000 to launch the agency’s first steps.