Members of the island's security council came together earlier today in a gathering which was co-chaired by Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer and Palma's envoy on the island Maria Salom. The meeting was also attended by a bevy of CiF officials —vice-president Susana Labrador, presidential cabinet councillor Bartomeu Escandell, mobility councillor Rafael González and social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada—, members of other parties, national security officers like Jaume Barceló, colonel of the Balearic Islands civil guard, José Manuel Mariscal de Gante, Eivissa's commissioner of the Spanish national police, along with individuals from the local police, civil protection and other emergency services on the island.

Describing the annual pre-summer encounter as a way to “take stock of the previous season and coordinate the security forces' joint efforts ahead the coming season,” Ferrer took the opportunity to welcome the Govern Balear's recently appointed Formentera delegate and share with her the key points affecting safety on the island, like entry and exit through the la Savina port and drug trafficking. Ferrer said that too few agents on the local police force was one reason greater inter-agency coordination would be needed.

Civil guard base in la Savina
The president cited repeated calls for a permanent boat on the Guardia Civil's sea fleet. In that respect, Ferrer said both Colonel Barceló and Ms Salom had alluded to the possibility of stationing the force's Pitiüsa-based watercraft in la Savina. The Council president openly welcomed the possibility and said that talks were already under way with the Balearic port authority and other authorities to make it a reality.

For her part, the Govern's envoy celebrated the “spirit of teamwork” among meeting attendees which she said would “guarantee a safer Formentera and ensure all the agencies here today are more efficient and effective”. She also said that the positive outcome of experiences last summer would cement the regional ministry's support for continued cooperation between Italian carabinieri and local security forces on Formentera. In addition, Salom announced the Govern's plan to sign off on a cross-agency convention to stop gender violence.

-For 10 years now, there have been 4 of us-

Formentera, March 1, 2017

Bon dia a tothom. Thank you for being here today. We've got plenty of activities in store and your participation will make the day wonderful and festive. Thanks go to Espai dones de Formentera, Grup esportiu Espalmador and Asociación española contra el cáncer for working with us to organise today's fabulous walk/run and paella.

Today is a holiday not just on Formentera but on each one of the Balearic Islands. Though here on Formentera we've got even more reasons to celebrate. I hope everyone enjoys the day and the activities scheduled. I'm here to explain why I say that here on Formentera there are more reasons to celebrate.

Because for 10 years now there have been 4 of us.
For 10 years now the Balearic Islands have had 4 island councils.
For 10 years now Formentera has felt like one of the four pieces of the Balearic Islands Autonomous Community.

Though technically speaking our region has always been composed of four islands (not counting the smaller, unpopulated ones), that wasn't the political reality until 2007. Previously, and politically speaking, there were only three of us. Mallorca, Menorca and —sharing one single island council— Eivissa and Formentera.

Yesterday on Palma, I watched Isidor Torres as he received the Ramon Llull award, a well-deserved honour. He was the last person to serve as mayor of the Ajuntament de Formentera, our island's local municipal authority. He said —I remember it well—: “We want to be the fourth supporting wall of the autonomous community”.

Formentera was the only island in the country without its own council. Whilst the other islands debated whether or not we were large enough to justify our own council, we knew, for it was our day-to-day reality, that our island had outgrown its little ajuntament.

We seized the opportunity provided by the overhaul of the Balearic Islands' Statute of Autonomy. The unity of all our political forces, plus the combined efforts of Isidor Torres and Pep Mayans, bore fruit.

On March 1, 2007, Organic Law 1/2007, adopted February 28 and included in the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands, was published in Spain's official state bulletin. It entered into force the following day.

A great change for Formentera.

Article 18.2, in the third section of the 1983 Statute, read: “The island councils shall be charged with the governance and administration of Mallorca, Menorca and Eivissa/Formentera and of their neighbouring islands”.

Article 61, in the fourth section of the 2007 Statute, reads: “Each island shall have its own governing body, an island council. These shall be charged with the governance, administration and representation of Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera”.

The 2007 overhaul of the Statute of Autonomy did away with the barriers set forth by the 1983 Statute that had made Formentera the only island in Spain without its own council.

On July 10, 2007, freed from the legal barriers which had historically stood in the way and driven by the desire to find political solutions in tune with our reality, a president assumed leadership of a council that was uniquely Formentera's.

In that sense, the Statute allows us to tackle our island's problems right here where they occur.

It's been an exhilarating few years. We were faced with the task of turning our local municipal authority into a municipality and council. Nowhere in Spain was there any precedent to serve as a roadmap, but we stuck it out and today we've got greater ability to self-govern.

We've got increased resources. Just look at our funding. In its final year, the Ajuntament de Formentera had 10.6 million euros. Today our Council has got 23.8 million.

Every day, more people wake up and head to work at the island's governing body. In 2007 there were 144 on the payroll. Today there are 278.

Overall, new institutions like this one and the hospital, which this year also celebrates its tenth year, mean improved well-being and growth. We've gone from 9,380 inhabitants (January 2007) to 12,945 (January 2017).

This gathering is a celebration of 10 years of the Formentera Council's existence. There will be more. During this special year, we hope we'll have the time to thank both the councillors that comprise our governing team and those of all our political parties, as well as Formentera Council staff and individuals from other participating institutions, all of whom have built an administration that is worthy of the great people it represents.

Before finishing, I'd like to thank the Govern de les Illes Balears for the hand it has played in organising today's activities, here and on the other islands. And to thank you, for listening. Molts anys i bons a tothom!

Members of the Formentera Council gathered today to celebrate the administration's February plenary. During the session one measure on housing benefits, adopted unanimously, proposed pushing the Govern Balear to heed the suggestions and comments included in a housing bill. Land councillor Alejandra Ferrer called it “a step toward resolving the problematic issue of home rentals on Formentera in a way that takes into account the particular characteristics of the island and the needs that exist here”. Councillors also voted to urge the executive branch of the regional government to create benefits for home renters, bearing in mind, said Ferrer, “low-income families and €600-plus rental payments”. Representatives from all of the parties supported the measure.

Revival of Formentera's salt flat heritage
The plenary also saw the unanimous adoption of a measure to protect Formentera's salt flat heritage, an asset which, as patrimony councillor Susana Labrador called to mind, received official recognition in 2004. The text calls for urgent action by the Balearic Islands' coastal authority, Govern Balear and Formentera Island Council to prevent major damages to the structure that houses the “màquina d'en Palla” and restore other related sites.

Plenary members also voted to push authorities to work with the owners of the land where Ses Salines is located to implement a project to revive the salt flats. Such a project was agreed on August 4, 2015 by the ensemble of the political parties with representation in the Council. Councillor Labrador said that text calls for “the construction of an interpretative centre, restoration of related heritage sites in the park and creation of a network of walking and cycling trails that showcase the natural beauty and historic importance of Ses Salines, including signs highlighting plant and animal life in the park”.

Other proposals
Also adopted at the plenary despite the Popular Party's abstention was a proposal by the socialists (PSOE) regarding the central government's policy on awarding grants and urging equal opportunities and rights for all students. Support was likewise given, with 13 votes for and two Popular Party (PP) votes against, to a joint proposal from PSOE and Gent per Formentera (GxF), calling for policies to promote equality and curb gender violence as well as observance, March 8, 2017, of International Women's Day.

Official statement
All parties lent support to a call from GxF and PSOE to lift barriers to refugee reception. The manifesto airs concerns over the desperate situation of Syrians displaced by a war now in its fifth year. According to social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada the text also highlights Spain's refusal to meet intake quotas for asylum seekers set by the European Union in 2016.
 
Report from sports councillor
Sports councillor Jordi Vidal took stock of his department's efforts and pointed to targets on the horizon in 2017. He highlighted upcoming plans extend and increase by 20% a partnership promoting the values inherent in sport. Vidal also trumpeted the early go-ahead received to extend a partnership with the Balearic Islands' foundation for sports and the scheduling of two regional school sports finals on the island.

Vidal also held up one of his department's priorities: a nautical sports centre he said had already received the green light from the Palma government and Balearic Islands coastal authority. According to the councillor, the call for bids to construct the centre is currently being prepared.

The president's office of the Formentera Council announced the addition today of four permanent officers to the island's local police force. Administration president Jaume Ferrer saluted the efforts of the new employees, who successfully submitted to a series of trials in the process. The expansion, a bid by Formentera Local Police to consolidate its ranks, puts the force's current number of officers at 13.