In Zaragoza a discrepancy has emerged between the official publication and the council resolution on the new civic bylaw. In the Boletín Oficial de la Provincia de Zaragoza a version published on 10 September classified sleeping in parks and on streets as a very serious offence, punishable by fines of up to €3,000 The Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza acknowledges a publication error and says it has requested a correction, which has not yet appeared in the official gazette.
According to the city administration, in practice the text adopted by the full council applies. It classifies sleeping in public spaces at night as a minor offence, punishable by €50 to €750. Mayor Natalia Chueca had already announced this downgrade in May. The city council adopted the new Ordenanza cívica at the beginning of September, with its entry into force announced for Friday, 2 October 2026. The erroneous publication in the Boletín therefore directly contradicts the politically intended penalty framework.
The case is legally sensitive. Under the Ley de Bases de Régimen Local municipal by-laws generally come into force only once they have been published in full. Lawyers therefore point out that, until the official correction is made, the published version may be authoritative. The Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, however, stresses that the decisive text is the one approved by the plenary. This conflict creates uncertainty for those affected and for enforcement authorities.
Behind the intention to correct the text lies a months-long dispute over how to deal with homelessness and public spaces. Social organisations had sharply criticised the maximum fines initially proposed in the spring. The council majority responded by announcing that the penalties would be reduced. The question is also currently being raised of how the public order by-law covers the encampment at plaza de España Until the correction appears in the Boletín Oficial de la Provincia de Zaragoza, it remains unclear which legal provisions apply.
The city assures residents that the requested correction to the BOPZ will be made shortly. Until then, the finding remains: contradictory official texts coexist, and whether the lower or the much higher range of fines applies depends on formal republication. The conflict is therefore less political than administrative—with immediate consequences for enforcement in public spaces.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).