Territorial Policy earmarks over half of the budget for investments

By chapters, €43 million (39 %) are earmarked for investments, mainly related to the water cycle in the Canary Islands, while another €14 million (almost 13 %) will be used to support municipalities and island councils in executing investment projects.

Manuel Miranda, Councillor for Territorial Policy Territorial Cohesion and Water, presented these figures during the department’s budget presentation. He also highlighted that the soon‑to‑be‑created Canary Islands Emergency Agency will receive €500,000 to start its first operations in 2026.

“The upcoming accounts reinforce the role of the Department as ‘guarantor of water security, territorial cohesion and an effective response to emergencies’,” Miranda emphasized.
“This budget – like the rest of the regional government’s – is conditioned by uncertainty, especially in the water sector where works must be planned over the medium and long term. We do not know whether we will receive allocations such as the €20 million from the State for this purpose, which has not yet been transferred for the current year,” he warned.

The water‑related budget will decrease by 4 %, reaching €35 million in 2026, mainly due to the need to align forecasts with actual project processing times and the completion of works financed by Next Generation EU funds.

Miranda noted that 2026 will be a year to showcase projects “launched by this administration,” citing water supply works in La Graciosa, the Valle Gran Rey desalination plant, and sanitation works in El Paso (La Palma).

“These projects have taken many months of processing and will become a reality next year.”

He also recalled that, as in the two previous budgets, an additional €15 million is set aside “to face possible water emergencies or other projects lacking financing.”

A Budget for All Islands

Miranda pointed out that the Department’s projects reach every island. Highlights include subsidies for the Mogán wastewater treatment plant, the Arucas‑Teror road upgrade in Gran Canaria, the San Blas pumping station in Tenerife, and works on the Vallehermoso ravine in La Gomera.

“Next year will also see the promotion of a new hydrological planning, once we have updated the Canary Islands to the previous cycle, and the completion of investments financed by Next Generation EU funds.”

Regarding emergencies, the Councillor stated that in 2026 the region will consolidate the Canary Islands emergency system by advancing the Emergency Agency, drafting the Canary Islands Civil Protection Law, and maintaining various technical and logistical support units across the archipelago. He stressed continued support for other administrations, such as the emergency consortia of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote, material improvements to La Gomera’s emergency system, and assistance to municipalities for standardising beach‑service provisions.

Consolidating Support for Municipalities and Island Councils

In the areas of Planning, Territorial Order and Demographic Challenge, Miranda said the goal is to consolidate previous years’ progress, so the 2026 budget is similar to that of 2025.

• €17 million are dedicated to addressing the demographic challenge, ensuring that the smallest and least‑resourced municipalities have greater opportunities.
• “One of the most important lines of work for this Government is supporting municipalities and island councils so they can update their planning, manage technical offices, licensing, etc.,” he noted.

Consequently, a €2.3 million line remains for planning subsidies, technical‑office support, and a virtual office for municipalities facing demographic challenges.

A new Legal Consultation Office is introduced this year, with a €224,000 budget, to complement the comprehensive support the Government provides to local administrations.

The Territorial Policy budget also includes €1 million for projects related to Territorial Cohesion and funds the Canary Islands Natural Environment Protection Agency to seal five more illegal landfills. If forecasts hold, by the end of 2026 only 10 of the 47 landfills reported by the European Commission will remain to be recovered.