The Consejo de Gobierno by Castilla-La Mancha on 27 October 2026 approved the Anteproyecto de Ley de Calidad Ambiental for further consideration. According to the Consejería de Desarrollo Sostenible, represented by the minister responsible, Mercedes Gómez, the new framework law is intended to strengthen environmental protection and streamline procedures by bringing together assessment steps that were previously separate and clarifying responsibilities.
The central instrument is the Autorización Ambiental Unificada. It is intended to combine several previously separate permits into a single procedure, reducing duplicate applications and repeated assessments. Shorter deadlines and simplified processes are planned for projects with less environmental impact. The draft also incorporates instruments to promote the circular economy and provides for mechanisms such as custodia del territorio for offsetting and compensation measures.
The process has a long history. The government formally began drafting the law in 2025; according to the government, the public consultation ran from 14 October to 10 November 2025. Its launch is documented in the Resolución de 7 de noviembre de 2025 In May 2026, the regional government presented the main points at the national congress on environmental impact assessment (CONEIA 2026) and emphasised the aim of ensuring consistency with European Union and central government requirements.
The government argues that the proposal balances protection interests and economic activity by increasing planning and investment certainty while leaving substantive environmental standards untouched. Questions remain: how the Autorización Ambiental Unificada will be defined in detail, which deadline reductions can be made legally robust, and how coordination with existing national authorisations will be organised. Interactions with municipal powers and technical guidelines must also be clarified in the implementing regulations.
The Cabinet's approval marks the start of the parliamentary phase in the Cortes regionales. The timetable ahead, submissions from business associations, environmental organisations and municipalities, and any proposed amendments will determine the precise shape of the first autonomous Ley de Calidad Ambiental in Castilla-La Mancha. Until it enters into force, the current environmental assessment law remains applicable; according to the government, transitional provisions will ensure that ongoing proceedings move smoothly into the new system.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).