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Type a law, a topic, a person or a province.

What it is

The Mar Menor lagoon and its basin become a legal subject

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

Type of initiative: iniciativa legislativa popular. It was introduced on 29 July 2020. Introduced by: Doña María Teresa Vicente Giménez.

Official title: Private member's bill for the recognition of legal personality to the Mar Menor lagoon and its basin.

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Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 120/000009· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The law grants legal personhood to the Mar Menor lagoon and its basin, so they stop being merely a protected object and become a subject of rights. It stems from a citizens' initiative and responds to the ecological degradation of the area.
  2. The ecosystem is recognized with rights to exist and evolve naturally, to protection, conservation and restoration, with governments and shoreline residents responsible for them.
  3. Representation and governance are split among three bodies that make up the Tutoría del Mar Menor: a Committee of Representatives, a Monitoring Commission (the lagoon's guardians) and an independent Scientific Committee.
  4. Anyone may go to court on behalf of the ecosystem to defend its rights, and a winning plaintiff recovers the costs of the lawsuit. Public administrations must also prevent damage, run awareness campaigns, study the ecosystem and restrict or ban harmful activities.

Who it affects

  • Public administrations at all levels.: Must respect the lagoon's rights and meet obligations of prevention, study and protection.
  • Residents of the shoreline municipalities and the general public.: Are represented on the Committee of Representatives and the Monitoring Commission, and can defend the lagoon in court.
  • Companies, entities and individuals acting in the area.: Any activity that violates the recognized rights may lead to criminal, civil, environmental and administrative liability.
  • Scientists and experts on the Scientific Committee.: Advise the other bodies and identify indicators on the ecosystem's ecological condition.

Words worth knowing

Personalidad jurídica (legal personhood)
The ability of an entity to have its own rights and obligations before the law, as if it were a person.
Cuenca (basin)
The territory whose water, from rain or underground sources, flows into the lagoon.
Iniciativa legislativa popular (popular legislative initiative)
A procedure that lets citizens propose a law to Congress without a party or the Government sponsoring it.
Medidas cautelares (interim measures)
Temporary court decisions that prevent harm while a lawsuit is being resolved.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced29 July 2020Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted2 September 2020The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments22 April 2022Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee3 December 2021A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenaryno dateAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate2 September 2020The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE21 September 2022It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 15 official steps on a timeline
Sept 2020Dec 2020Mar 2021Jun 2021Sept 2021Dec 2021Mar 2022Jun 202211. 29 July 2020: Presentación22. 2 September 2020: Calificación33. 2 September 2020: Senado desde 02/09/2020 hasta 22/09/202044. 22 September 2020: Junta Electoral Central desde 22/09/2020 hasta 30/11/202155. 30 November 2021: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 30/11/2021 hasta 03/12/202166. 3 December 2021: Gobierno Contestación desde 03/12/2021 hasta 12/02/202277. 3 December 2021: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico desde 03/12/2021 hasta 12/02/202288. 13 February 2022: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico Comparecencia desde 13/02/2022 hasta 15/03/202299. 15 March 2022: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 15/03/2022 hasta 05/04/20221010. 5 April 2022: Mesa del Congreso Acuerdo subsiguiente a la toma en consideración desde 05/04/2022 hasta 19/04/20221111. 19 April 2022: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico Publicación desde 19/04/2022 hasta 22/04/20221212. 22 April 2022: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico Enmiendas desde 22/04/2022 hasta 23/06/20221313. 23 June 2022: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico Informe desde 23/06/2022 hasta 12/07/20221414. 12 July 2022: Comisión de Transición Ecológica y Reto Demográfico Aprobación con competencia legislativa plena desde 12/07/2022 hasta 13/07/20221515. 21 September 2022: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 21/09/2022 hasta 18/10/2022

5 April 2022

How did the plenary vote?

More votes in favour 274 yes · 53 no · 6 abst.

Voted on: Private member's bill for the recognition of legal personality to the Mar Menor lagoon and its basin.

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, vote 1 of sitting 169· updated 10 Nov

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Your province

How did the deputies from your province vote?

And your senators: the Senate does not link its votes to this law in its open data, so we cannot put them side by side here.

Or see how most of each province voted
More details: how each group and each province voted

The groups

Who voted in favour and who against?

In favour, most of Euskal Herria Bildu, Republicano, Socialista, Mixto, Ciudadanos, Gcup-ec-gc, GPlu, Sin grupo and Popular en el Congreso. Against, most of VOX. 8 deputies voted differently from their group.

By province: in 51 most voted in favour; in 1, against.

Coloured by how most of each province’s deputies voted.

  • In favour: 51
  • Against: 1
Result by parliamentary group
GroupSeatsHow it voted
Euskal Herria Bildu5
5 in favour
Republicano13
13 in favour
Socialista120
118 in favour · 2 did not vote
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)6
6 did not vote
Mixto11
6 in favour · 1 against · 1 abst. · 3 did not vote
Ciudadanos9
8 in favour · 1 did not vote
Gcup-ec-gc33
31 in favour · 2 did not vote
GPlu12
7 in favour · 4 abst. · 1 did not vote
Sin grupo1
1 in favour
Popular en el Congreso87
85 in favour · 1 against · 1 did not vote
VOX52
51 against · 1 abst.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

Published in the BOE: Law 19/2022, of September 30, for the recognition of legal personality to the Mar Menor lagoon and its basin.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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