Candelaria Approves Rules for Güímar Industrial Park EUC

Today, the Candelaria City Council is set to give its initial approval to the rules for a new organization: the Urban Conservation Entity (EUC) of the Valle de Güímar Industrial Park. These rules will then be open for public feedback before their final approval. The city councils of Arafo and Güímar will follow the same process.

This follows yesterday's announcement from the Cabildo de Tenerife government, which stated it is leading the creation of this EUC. The Cabildo's Governing Council had given its initial approval to the statutes on Wednesday.

Manuel Fernández, the Minister of Industry, highlighted that this step fulfills a key commitment for his term: to ensure that significant industrial parks have dedicated entities to manage their maintenance and upkeep.

Fernández explained that this new entity, which will be managed jointly by public and private sectors, will guarantee the industrial park's infrastructure is maintained, preserved, and improved. The park is home to over 200 companies and covers more than two million square meters. He added that this initiative has been a long-standing demand from the business owners operating there.

The EUC will be funded through a mix of public and private money. Public funds, from the Cabildo and the city councils of Candelaria, Arafo, and Güímar, will cover 55% of the budget. The remaining 45% will come from contributions by landowners within the park. Manuel Fernández announced that the Cabildo will provide an initial €200,000. This will be combined with €250,000 from the current Mixed Association of the Industrial Park, which is in the process of being dissolved.

The island councilor stated that creating this entity marks a significant step in modernizing and managing Tenerife's industrial zones, aligning with the model recommended by the Canary Islands' Master Plan for Industrial Areas. He also mentioned plans to introduce this management model to other industrial parks on the island.

He reminded everyone that the Valle de Güímar Industrial Park, built over 40 years ago, had fallen into disrepair and needed urgent attention. He stressed that the Cabildo has spearheaded efforts to fix this, working closely with the city councils, who are now beginning the procedure for the initial approval of these statutes.

Fernández emphasized that these actions aim to ensure companies operate in well-maintained spaces with excellent services. This will not only provide a suitable environment for existing businesses but also attract new investment to Tenerife, making the island an appealing location for new industrial companies that can boost the economy and create stable, quality jobs.

The idea of the Urban Conservation Entity has been discussed for over five years. On October 9, 2015, it was first seen as the solution, leading to a preliminary agreement where the Cabildo would oversee the industrial park. However, establishing the EUC proved difficult. Despite an initial agreement on its rules in May 2016, legal issues from municipal reports caused disagreements. By April 2020, the municipalities decided to try creating a consortium instead, but this plan was eventually dropped last year.

Earlier, on July 22, 2013, at 11:45 AM, the Mixed Compensation Association officially transferred the Valle de Güímar Industrial Park, which spans 2,024,999 square meters, to the three city councils.