On September 6, the Decret llei 6/2025, on urgent measures to accelerate strategic projects contributing to the economic transformation of the Balearic Islands was published (hereinafter, \\\"DL 6/2025\\\\\\\").
The purpose of this law is to facilitate public and private investment in strategic projects in the Balearic Islands that contribute to their economic transformation. To this end, it establishes a framework for preferential processing, administrative simplification, and institutional support for promoters of private projects declared to be of special strategic interest, while at the same time simplifying and unifying regulations on investments and declarations of special interest.
In our opinion, this is an interesting and promising regulation that may be attractive to private operators interested in investing in our islands. It may also help accelerate major public investments in the Balearic Islands, which are often delayed by the complexity of urban planning and administrative procedures.
Below we review the main novelties of DL 6/2025:
A) Strategic projects of private initiative
Article 15 of DL 6/2025 provides that investments \\\"with special relevance and contribution to competitiveness, the transformation of the economic model, sustainable development or social welfare\\\" may be declared PEIE (Projects of Special Strategic Interest) if they fall into one of the following categories:
a) Industrial investments with the foreseeable outcome of a \\\"significant and sustainable expansion or the consolidation of the Balearic industrial fabric, or the adoption of measures aimed at ensuring the viability of a company or an industrial sector exposed to risks to guarantee its continuity\\\"
b) Investments that add value in innovative or technological sectors, that renew the production pattern, improve competitiveness, or promote territorial cohesion and socio-economic development.
c) Initiatives that strengthen the knowledge society, research, university, innovation, and the qualification of human capital.
d) Projects of educational, cultural, sports, health, social, or mobility infrastructures or facilities.
e) Initiatives on circular economy, eco-innovation, environmental sustainability, climate neutrality, and improvement of the water cycle and water resilience.
f) Projects linked to agricultural uses in accordance with the regional sectoral regulations.
g) Any other project aligned with the strategic guidelines of the Government of the Balearic Islands in the strategic investment planning instrument or in regional sectoral regulations.
The categories are deliberately broad, which grants the regional Administration significant discretion to decide which initiatives may benefit from the strategic project regime. This breadth is nuanced by the provision that priorities must be defined through the strategic investment planning instrument approved by the Government (art. 4 DL 6/2025).
According to Article 22, the main advantages of being declared a PEIE are:
(i) Institutional support through a project director and the Accelerating Unit, acting as a one-stop shop.
(ii) Preferential processing before all administrations, with deadlines generally reduced by half, including environmental assessments.
(iii) Possibility of benefiting from additional economic and financial incentives, as well as preference in regional financing lines.
(iv) Incentives in training and hiring, by participating in the planning of training programs linked to the project.
In this way, DL 6/2025 seeks to encourage strategic private investment, ensuring that it is channeled in an agile and coordinated manner, with institutional support being a potentially decisive advantage.
B) Strategic projects of public initiative
DL 6/2025 also facilitates the implementation of projects promoted by public administrations. Through a specific regulation, it complements what is provided for in Article 149 of the LUIB and repeals previous rules that had partially addressed the issue, such as Decree-law 1/2018.
The aim is to provide a more coherent and detailed framework that allows the unlocking of projects slowed down by excessively lengthy urban planning and administrative procedures. Public projects declared PEIE will also benefit from preferential processing and will not be subject to the determinations of municipal planning. Practical examples could include new schools, health infrastructures, or facilities for waste management and treatment.
It is worth noting that DL 6/2025 allows certain investments promoted by Local Entities to obtain PEIE status and thus benefit from preferential processing. However, a distinction is made: according to Article 24, while Palma and Ibiza can promote projects in any field, the rest of the municipalities can only do so in relation to the integral water cycle, energy efficiency, or waste treatment. This marked difference raises doubts about its justification, as it gives Palma and Ibiza a much broader scope of action than the rest of the local entities, potentially posing problems of territorial equity in our view.
C) Conclusion
In our view, DL 6/2025 represents a positive step forward in attracting and supporting investment in the Balearic Islands. Its commitment to administrative simplification, shorter deadlines, and the creation of support mechanisms provides greater certainty for private promoters and undoubtedly offers public administrations a clearer path to promote projects of general interest.
At Araújo & Benetti we are closely following this new regulation and will carefully study its practical implications. If you have any questions about DL 6/2025 or about investment opportunities in the Balearic Islands, our firm is at your disposal to advise and support you throughout the process.