Spain

Spain Country Profile (World Bank)

Status under International Climate Change Law

• UNFCCC: signature and ratification (29^th of April, 1998).
• KP: signature and ratification (10^th of May, 2002. Published in the Official Journal on the 8^th of February, 2005 –BOE number 33-).
  • Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment: + 15%.
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozono Layer: signature and ratification (13^th of July, 1988. BOE number 275, 16^th of November, 1988).
• Montreal Protocol: signature and ratification (10^th of March, 1989. BOE number 65, 17^th of March, 1989).
• LRTAP: signature and ratification (15^th of June, 1982) as well as signature and ratification of the 7 Protocols
• Energy Charter Treaty: signature and ratification (16^th of December, 1997 + Trade Amendment 21^st of December, 2001).
• Energy Charter Protocol on Energy Efficiency and related environmental issues: signature (17^th of December, 1994). Entry into force (16^th of April, 1998).
• Espoo Convention: signature (26^th of February, 1991) and ratification (10^th of September, 1992)
• International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage: signature (27^th of September 2002). Entry into force (21^st of November 2008) [English, Spanish].
• Energy Charter Treaty (The Hague, 1991): Signed (17^th of December, 1994); ratified (11^th of December, 1997); entry into force (16^th of April, 1998).
• The Protocol on Energy Efficiency and Related Environmental Aspects (PEEREA, Lisbon, 1994); signed (17^th of December, 1994); Ratified (14^th of December, 1997); entry into force (16^th of April, 1998) [English, Spanish].
• 2030 Commitment: 40% domestic reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by 2030, to be fulfilled jointly by European Union member states (10% decrease in domestic emissions below 2005 levels by 2020, in accordance with Decision No. 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and Council)
  • INDC summary – includes LULUCF and gases covered (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions 2015)
  • INDC summary – includes adaptation and conditions for implementation (Climate Policy Observer 2016)

Federal Laws on Climate Change

Climate Change

• Law 16/2002, 1^st of July, on integrated prevention and control of pollution (transposing Directive 96/61/EC, and amended by Law 1/2005; by Law 13/2010; by Law 29/2006, of 18^th of July, referring to public access to environmental information –transposing Directives 2003/4 and 2003/53-; by Law 34/2007, 15^th of November, on air quality and atmosphere protection; by Law 42/2007, 13^th of December, on natural wealth and biodiversity; and by Law 40/2010, 21^st of December, on the geological storage of CO2 that transposes Directive 2009/31, and developed by Royal Decree 509/2007, of 20^th of April, approving the regulation for the development and execution of Law 16/2002).
• Royal Decree 430/2004, of 12^th of March, establishing new ways to limit atmosphere emission coming from some large combustion plants contaminating agents (amended by RD 687/2011, 13^th of May).
• Law 1/2005, 9th of March, concerning the regulation of the greenhouse emission allowance-trading scheme (transposing Directive 2003/87/CE, and amended by RDL 5/2005, 11^th March, L 22/2005, 18^th Nov and Law 13/2010, 5th of July, transposing Directives 2008/101 and 2009/29). This Law:
  • Prepared the approval of the First National Plan for Allocation of Emissions (PNA 2005-2008);
  • Regulated the National Registry of GHG Emissions Rights (RENADE); and
  • Created the Spanish National Authority for Proyect-Based Mechanisms of the KP.
• Royal Decree 1264/2005, of 21^st of October, on the regulation of the organization and procedure of the Emission Rights National Register.
• Royal Decree 1031/2007, of 20^th of July, developing the framework for participation in Kyoto Protocol flexibility mechanisms.
• Law 13/2010, 5^th of July, amending Law 1/2005, as to improve and extent the greenhouse emission allowance-trading scheme and include the aviation sector (transposing Directives 2008/101 and 2009/29).
• Royal Decree 301/2011, of 4^th of March, on equivalent mitigation measures to the participation in the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme in order to exclude small-scale installations.
• Royal Decree 1494/2011, of 24^th of October, on the regulation of a Carbon Fund for a sustainable low-carbon economy:
• Royal Decree 455/2012, of 5^th of March, on the establishment of the measures for ensuring the reduction of petrol vapor emissions from refueling activities.
• Royal Decree-Law 17/2012, 4^th of May, of urgent measures on the environment (converted into Law through the Cambers of Deputies Resolution of 17^th of May, 2012).

Air

• Law 16/2002, 1^st of July, on the pollution integrated prevention and control (modified by different Laws: 1/2005, 9^th of March; 27/2006, 18^th of July; 27/2006, 18^th of July; 34/2007, 15^th of November; 42/2007, 13^th of December; 40/2010, 29^th of December, and Law 5/2013, 11^th June). 
• Law 34/2007, 15^th of November, of the air quality and atmosphere protection (amended by Royal Decree 100/2011, 28^th of January, that updates the catalogue of the potential atmosphere contaminating activities).
• Royal Decree 102/2011, 28^th of January, on the improvement of the air quality.

Energy

• Law 25/1964, of 29^th of April, on Nuclear Energy (amended by L15/1980, 22^nd April, L21/1990, 19^thDec, L14/1999, 4^th May.
• Royal Decree 1836/1999, of 3^rd of December, approving the Regulation on nuclear and radioactive installations (amended by Nuclear Safety Instruction IS/05, 26^th Feb, RD 35/2008, 18^th January, RD 1308/2011, 18^th January, Law 12/2011, 27^th May).
• Law 54/1997, of 27th of November, on the regulation of the Electric Sector (amended by L66/1997, 30^thDec, L34/1998, 7^th Oct, L50/1998, 30^th Dec, L36/2003, 11^th Nov, L62/2003, 30^th Dec, RDL 5/2005, 11^thMarch, L24/2005, 18^th Nov, RDL 7/2006, 23^rd Jun, L 17/2007, 4^th Jul, L 33/2007, 7^th Nov, RDL 1/2008, 11^th Jan, L 11/2009, 26^th Oct, L 25/2009, 22^nd Dec, RDL 14/2010, 23^rd Dec, L 40/2010, 29^th Dec, L 2/2011, 4^th March, RDL 13/2012, 30^th March, RDL 20/2012, 13^th Jul, and affected by Constitutional Court Judgment 18/2011, 3^rd March, 2011).
• Royal Decree 1955/2000, of 1^st of December, on the regulation of the transport, distribution, commercialization, supply and the authorization procedures for electrical energy installations (affected by the Supreme Court Judgment of 16^th Oct, 2003 and amended by RD 2351/2004, 23^rd Oct, RD 1454/2005, 2^ndDec, RD 1634/2006, 29^th Dec, RD 616/2007, 11^th May, RD 198/2010, 26^th Feb, RD 1699/2011, 18^th Nov).
• Law 34/1998, of 7^th of October, on the hydrocarbons sector (amended by L50/1998, 30^th Dec, L55/1999, 29^th Dec, RDL 6/2000, 23^rd Jun, l24/2001, 27^th Dec, L53/2002, 30^th Dec, L13/2003, 23^rd May, L62/2003, 30^th Dec, RDL 5/2005, 11^th March, L24/2005, 18^th Nov, RDL 4/2006, 24^th Feb, RDL 7/2006, 23^rdJun, L 12/2007, 2^nd Jul, RDL 1/2009, 23^rd Feb, RDL 6/2009, 30^th Apr, L 25/2011, 4^th March, L 2/2011, 4^thMarch, L 12/2011, 27^th May, RDL 13/2012, 30^th March).
• Royal Decree 1027/2007, of 20^th of July, approving the regulation of the thermal system on buildings (amended by RD 1826/2009, 27^th Nov, RD 249/2010, 5^th March).
• Royal Decree 235/2013, of 5^th of April, on the approval of the procedure for the energy efficiency certification for buildings.
• Law 8/2013, of 26^th of June, of urban rehabilitation, regeneration and renovation.
• Law 22/1973, of 21^st of July, on Mining (amended by Law 54/1980, 5^th Nov, RL-D 1303/1986, 28^thJune, Law 50/1985, 27^th Dec, Law 12/2007, 2^nd July, Law 25/2009, 22^nd Dec, and Law 40/2010, 29^th Dec).
• Royal Decree 975/2009, on the 12^th of June, on the management of the waste from extractive industries and the rehabilitation of the land affected by the waste (amended by RD 777/2012, 4^th May).

Forests and Land Use

• Law 43/2003, 21^st of November, on the mountain areas (amended by Law 10/2006, 28^th of April and Law 25/2009, 22^nd of December).
• Law 22/1988, of 28^th of July, on the Coast (amended by Law 53/2002, 30^th Dec, Law 13/2003, 23^rdMay, Law 42/2007, 13^th Dec, Law 25/2009, 22^nd Dec, RD 60/2011, 21^st Jan).
• Law 2/2013, 29^th of May, of the protection and sustainable use of the coast, amending Law 22/1988.
• Law 45/2007, of 13^th of December, for the Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment (amended by L 10/2009, 20^th Oct).
• Law 41/2010, of 29^th of December, on the protection of the marine environment.

Environmental Impact Assessment

• Law 9/2006, 28^th of April, on the evaluation of the effects of some plans and programs on the environment (amended by RDL 1/2008, 11^th Jan).
• Royal Legislative Decree 1/2008, 11^th of January, passing the recast text of the projects Environmental Impact Assessment Law (amended by L6/2010, 24^th March, L 40/2010, 29^th Dec).
• Draft Law on Environmental Assessment, 18^th of April 2013.

Other

• Law 21/1992, of 16^th of July, on the Industry (amended by Law 25/2009, 22^nd December and affected by the Constitutional Court ruling No 162/2008, 15^th of December, declaring article 31 against the Spanish Constitution).
• Royal Decree 1254/1999, of 16^th of July, approving the control of risks measures regarding important accidents involving hazardous substances (amended by RD 119/2005, 4^th February and RD 948/2005, 29^thJuly).
• Law 38/1999, of 5^th of November, on Building Planning (amended by L 24/2001, 27^th Dec, L 53/2002, 30^th Dec).
  • Royal Decree 314/2006, of 17^th of March, approving the Technical Building Code (amended by RD 1371/2007, 19^th Oct., RD 173/2010, 19^th Feb, RD 410/2010, 31^st March, and affected by Judgment of the Supreme Court of 4^th of May 2010).

• Law 9/2003, of 25^th of April, on the regulation of the contained use voluntary release and commercialization of genetically modified organisms.
  • Royal Decree 178/2004, of 30^th of January, approving the General Regulation for the development and implementation of Law 9/2003 (amended by RD 367/2010, 26^th March).
• Law 24/2005, 18^th of November, on the reforms for a productivity boost (amended by L 42/2006, 28^thDec).
• Law 27/2006, 1^8th of July, on the regulation of the rights of access to the information, the participation of the public and the justice, regarding the environment (transposing Directives 2003/4/EC and 2003/35/EC and amended by RDL 1/2008, 11^th Jan). 
• Law 26/2007, of 23^rd of October, on environmental responsibility (amended by Law 40/2010, 29^th of December; Royal Decree-Law 8/2011, 1^st July; and Decree-Law 3/2009, 29^th May and developed by Royal Decree 2090/2008, of 22^nd of December).

• Law 42/2007, of 13^th of December, on the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (amended by L 25/2009, 22^nd Dec, RDL 8/2011, 1^st Jul, RDL 17/2012, 4^th May).
• Law 40/2010, 29^th of December, on the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
• Law 2/2011, 4^th of March, on the Sustainable Economy (amended by L 13/2011, 27^th May, L 21/2011, 26^th July, RDL 11/2011, 26^th Aug, RDL 3/2011, 14^th Nov, L 2/2012, 29^th June).

• Waste:

  • Royal Decree 1481/2001, of 27^th of December, on the regulations of the disposal of waste by dumping (amended by RD 105/2008, 1^st Feb, RD 1304/2009, 31^st July, and RD 367/2010, 26^th May).
  • Law 16/2002, 1^st of July, on the pollution integrated prevention and control (amended by L1/2005, 9^th March, L27/2006, 18^th July, L34/2007, 15^th Nov, L42/2007, 13^th Dec, L40/2010, 29^th Dec, RDL8/2011, 1^st July, and Law 5/2013, 11^th June).
  • Royal Decree 509/2007, of 20^th of April, approving the regulation for the development and execution of Law 16/2002 (amended by RD 367/2010, 26^th March).
  • Royal Decree 653/2003, of 30^th of May, on the incineration of waste (amended by RD 367/2010, 26^th March).
  • Law 1/2005, 4^th of February, for the prevention and correction of the pollution of the land.
  • Royal Decree 9/2005, 14^th of January, establishing the list of the potential land contaminating activities, and the standard criteria for the declaration of contaminating land.
  • Law 22/2011, 28^th of July, of waste materials and contaminated land (amended by RDL 17/2012, 4^th May, by Law 11/2012, 19^th December and by Law 5/2013, 11^th June).

• Water Protection:

  • Royal Decree 258/1989, of 10^th of March, on the regulation of the discharge of hazardous substances into the sea (amended by RD 60/2011, 21^st January and Law 16/2002, 1^st July).
  • Royal Decree-Law 11/1995, of 28^th of December, on the establishment of the rules applicable to the Urban Waste Water Treatment.
  • Royal Legislative-Decree 1/2001, of 20^th of July, approving the Refunded Text of the Water Law (amended by Law 24/2001, 27^th  Dec; Law 53/2002, 30^th Dec, Law 13/2003, 23^rd May; Law 62/2003, 30^th Dec; Law 11/2005, 22^nd June, RDLaw 4/2007, 13^th April; Law 42/2007, 13^th Dec, Law 25/2009, 22^nd Dec, RDLaw 8/2011, 1^st July, and RDLaw 17/2012, 4^th May; Law 11/2012, 19^th Dec);
  • Royal Decree 1892/2004, of 10^th of September, on the implementation of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (amended by RD 1795/2008, 3^rd of November).
  • Royal Decree 1620/2007, of 7^th of December, establishing the reuse of treated waters legal regime.
  • Royal Decree 1514/2009, 2^nd of October, on the regulation of the groundwater resources protection against contamination.

National Plans, Programs and Initiatives

• Spanish Climate Change and Clean Energy Strategy (2007-2012-2020) [English, Spanish]
• Urgent Measures for the Spanish Climate Change and Clean Energy Strategy [English, Spanish]
• Establishment and regulation of the European system of emissions trading (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment) [English]
• National Energy Commission

Local, State, and Regional Legislation and Initiatives

• European Union Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) (2015)
• EU Adaptation Strategy Package (European Commission)
• European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate ADAPT)
• 2020 Climate & Energy Package (European Commission) (2007)
• Decision No. 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and Council of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020 (European Parliament and Council) (2009)
• Directive 2010/31/EU of The European Parlaiment and of The Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (European Parliament and Council) (2010)
• Directive 2012/27/EU of The European Parlaiment and of The Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency(European Parliament and Council) (2012)
•  European Union Trading Scheme (EU ETS) (European Commission)

• Regulation on Climate Change at the Autonomous Regions Level:

  • Andalusia: Andalusian Strategy against climate change (approved by the Government Council on the 5^th of June, 2007).
  • Aragon: Aragonese Strategy against climate change and clean energy (approved on the 23^rd of September, 2009). Link:
  • Asturias: Sustainable Development Strategy (May 2008) and Sector-based measures, September 2009 (there is no specific climate change strategy).
  • Balearic Islands: Balearic Strategy on climate change (approved by the government of the Autonomous Communities on the 8^th of April 2013).
  • Canary Islands: Canary Islands Strategy against climate change (approved on the 17^th of March, 2009).
  • Cantabria: Cantabria Action Strategy against climate change 2008-2012 (approved on the 23^rd of October, 2008).
  • Castilla-La Mancha: Regional Strategy for mitigating and adapting to climate change (approved on March, 2011).
  • Castilla y León: Regional Strategy for the sustainable development of Castilla y León 2009-2012-2020 (approved on the 19^th of November, 2009).
  • Catalonia: Catalonia Framework Plan to mitigate climate change 2008-2012 (approved on the 30^th of September, 2008) [English, Spanish]and Catalonia Strategy on adaptation to climate change 2013-2020 (November 2012).
  • Extremadura: Extremadura strategy against climate change 2009-2014 (approved on the 29^th of March, 2009).
  • Galicia: Galician Strategy against climate change; Galician Action Plan against climate change; and Galician Climate Change Framework Programme 2010-2020 (approved in 2007).
  • Madrid: Order 1433/2007, 7^th of June of the Regional Ministry of the Environment and Territorial Planning of the autonomous region of Madrid, which approves the Air Quality and Climate Change Strategy 2006-2012 (Plan Azul); the Plan on Sustainable Energy Use and Climate Change Prevention of the City of Madrid (approved on the 12^th of June, 2008) and the Covenants of Mayors (February 2009).
  • Murcia: Strategy of the Region of Murcia against Climate Change 2008-2012 and the creation of the Regional Climate Change Observatory (ORCC) by Order of 19^th of February 2007, from the Regional Ministry of Industry and the Environment (the approval date is not specified).
  • Navarre: Navarre Strategy against climate change 2010-2020 (approved on the 31^st of January, 2011).
  • Basque Country: Draft Law of Climate Change of the Basque Country (approved: 24^th of May 2011). The Basque Environment Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002-2020 (EA VDS); the Basque Plan against Climate Change 2008-2012; the Energy Strategy 3E2010; and the Draft Law on Climate Change (agreement of the Government Council on the 24^th of May, 2011).
  • La Rioja: Strategy against Climate Change in La Rioja 2008-2012 (approved on the 5^th of December, 2008, published via Resolution 215/2008, on the 15^th of December, in the Official Gazette of La Rioja).
  • Valencia: Valencian Strategy against climate change 2013-2020 (approved by the Valencian Government on February 2013).
  • Autonomous Cities (Ceuta y Melilla): not applicable.

Government Documents

• 2014 Annex I Party GHG Inventory Submissions
  • National Inventory Report (2014) [English]
  • Common Reporting Format (2014) [English]
• Sixth National Communication of the Czech Republic under the UNFCCC (2014) [Spanish]
• Second Biennial Report to the UNFCCC (2015) [Spanish]

Additional Resources

• Climate change – Spain (Climate Change Post)
• Spain Climate change impacts on water systems (OECD Secretariat) (2013)
• Spain (Europe’s Energy Portal)
• EU Country Profile (Climate Action Tracker) (2015)
• Energy (Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Tourism)
• Publications
  • Remiro Brotóns & R.Mª Fernández Egea (Coord.). El Cambio Climático en el Derecho internacional y Comunitario. Fundación BBVA, 2009.
  • Lozano Cutanda. Derecho ambiental administrativo. Dykinson, 2009.
  • Lozano Cutanda y J-C. Alli Turrillas. Undécimo Capítulo de Adminisiración y Legislación Ambiental, 6ª edición, Dykinson, Madrid, 2011.
  • Arana. ‘The Fight Against Climate Change in Spain”. European Energy and Environmental Law Review Volume 20 (2011) Issue 5;, pp. 176–186.
  • Fundación Premios Rey Jaume I (Edt.). Cambio Climático y sus consecuencias, 2007.
  • I.Sainz Rubiales. El Mercado Europeo de Derechos de Emisión. Lex Nova, 2010.
  • J.J. Marín Arribas (Coord.) Hacia una política comunitaria europea en cambio climático y sus consecuencias para España. Universidad de Burgos, Servicio de Publicaciones, 2009.
  • L Parejo Alfonso. “Servicios públicos y servicios de interés general: la renovada actualidad de los primeros”. Revista de Derecho de la Unión Europea nº 7, 2º semester 2004, pp. 51-68.
  • L Parejo Alfonso & A. M. Moreno Molina. Código de Medio Ambiente. Aranzadi Thomson Reuters, Pamplona, 2011.
  • Mª Á. González Bustos & D. Fernández de Gatta Sánchez & M. Á. González Iglesias. Legislación sobre cambio climático. Tecnos, 2009.
  • Mª C. Alonso García. “El nuevo régimen jurídico del Mercado Europeo de derechos de emisión de gases de efecto invernadero”. Justicia Administrativa. Nº. 56, 2012, pp. 23-44.
  • M. Sarasíbar Iriarte. Régimen Jurídico del cambio climático. Lex Nova, Valladolid, 2006.
  • M. M. Razquin Lizárraga. “Enegía y medioambiente. Marco normativo y aplicación judicial”. Revista Aranzadi de Derecho Ambiental nº 21, 2012, p. 23-60.
  • R. Mata Olmo (Dir.). Energía, transporte, ciudad y territorio. ¿Hacia dónde vamos?. Revista Ciudad y Territorio. Estudios Territoriales. Vol. XLIV. Cuarta Época, nº 171, primavera 2012.
  • S. González Sánchez. El Tercer período de comercio de derechos de emission: novedades en el sistema jurídico español a partir de 2013. Revista Aranzadi de Derecho Ambiental nº 21, 2012, pp 239-275.
  • T. Parejo Navajas, “Spanish Climate Change Policy: an ambitious bet on renewable energies”, included in Marjan Peeters, Mark Stallworthy, Javier de Cendra de Larragán (Eds.). Climate Law in EU Member States: Towards National Legislation for Climate Protection, Edward Elgard, UK, Forthcoming 2012.

Updated as of: May 8, 2016