Canary Islands moratorium: €300m reported for Lopesan, official breakdown unconfirmed

What was agreed

According to La Provincia (18 August 2026) and Canarias7 (19 August 2026), the regional government and the claimant companies settled out of court. The agreement covers 36 case files, or plots, in the province of Las Palmas, located in the municipalities of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán, Yaiza and Pájara – that is, on Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

In legal terms the dispute concerned compensation claims derived from the building restrictions of Laws 6/2001 and 19/2003. A settlement closes such proceedings without a court ruling conclusively on the full amount claimed. That is a standard instrument of administrative law and is not, in itself, an indication of wrongdoing by any party.

The figures – and why they differ

The published totals do not agree. Atlántico Hoy puts the overall compensation at around 485 million euros and names Lopesan as the largest recipient with some 300 million euros, attributing this to halted projects in southern Gran Canaria, including Meloneras, and on Fuerteventura. Atlántico Hoy reports that the money has already been transferred. Hosteltur likewise reports 300 million euros for Lopesan.

The business daily Expansión put the total at around 500 million euros on 26 August 2026, also with roughly 300 million euros for Lopesan. The German-language trade outlet Tageskarte gives 485 million euros in total and a Lopesan share of about 62 percent.

Other reports are considerably lower. Libertad Digital wrote on 26 August 2026 that the government puts the cost at around 400 million euros, and for Lopesan cites a figure "en torno a los 260 millones con intereses" – about 260 million euros including interest. eldiario.es/Canarias Ahora places the total in a similar range. Both outlets state explicitly that neither the government nor Lopesan has confirmed the breakdown.

The government's rationale

From the government's point of view, the settlement closes off a financial risk. According to the available reports, the original claims of just under 1 billion euros were reduced during negotiations first to around 650 million and then to the range now being quoted. On that reading, settling is cheaper than losing in court.

Canarias7 reported on 27 August 2026 that the government expects to save 155.6 million euros in interest, because part of the companies agreed to immediate payment without an interest surcharge. The same paper wrote that 261 million euros in transfers had already been executed to service the agreements.

Criticism and open questions

This is public money, and that is where the criticism starts. eldiario.es/Canarias Ahora reports that public debate and the opposition have focused above all on the lack of transparency: no full list of the benefiting business groups has been provided, while the figure of 36 case files and the fact that payments have been made are confirmed.

Politically, the case also touches the question of which of the two Canary moratoriums triggered the liability – the one of 2001 (Laws 6/2001 and 19/2003) or Law 6/2009. Opposition politician Román Rodríguez (Nueva Canarias) had already disputed the government's account of that point earlier in August. That argument is part of the political row and is not itself the subject of the settlement.

What it means for the plots

The settlement is not only about money, but also about the future of the land. According to reports by Hosteltur and Canarias7 among others, the disputed plots will not automatically be reclassified as suelo rústico – rural, non-developable land – with a period of five years being cited. The decision on any possible development therefore returns to municipal planning.

Atlántico Hoy writes that the end of the litigation clears the way for up to 18 new hotels and resorts on Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Whether and when anything is actually built depends on the individual municipalities, the plans in force and the permitting process – on the reported account, the settlement carries no automatic building rights.