Loja delegates the collection of four selective waste streams to the Provincial Council

The Loja City Council has delegated to the Provincial Council of Granada, with indefinite temporary validity, the competence for the provision of the public service of collection and transport of four types of waste: glass, textiles, oil, and batteries. The agreement was adopted by the Plenary of the Corporation in an ordinary session on August 6, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Granada no. 182, of September 21, 2026, with the official reference BOP-GRA-2026-182022.

The processed file is 2026/345, and its prior report corresponds to the Permanent Information Commission of Governance, dated July 29, 2026. The City Council adopts option B of those provided for in Article 11 of the Regulatory Ordinance for the Provision of the Municipal Waste Collection Service, which defines the separate collection service via containers on public roads. According to the calculation of effective costs included in the agreement, this option B is listed as “no cost.”

A delegation without cost for municipal coffers

During the commission debate, Ms. Rodríguez Morón explained that the model agreement sent by the Provincial Council of Granada included clauses referring to the costs specific to option A, which the City Council was not going to use, and therefore they were opted to be removed to avoid confusion. Mr. García Morales asked whether this decision was technical or political, and the Secretary General responded that it was his, understanding that the Plenary should not approve cost clauses if the City Council was not going to bear any expense.

The report was approved in the commission by majority, with the favorable vote of the members of the Popular Municipal Group (4), and the abstention of the Socialist Municipal Group (2) and the representative of Vox (1). In the Plenary, the agreement passed by absolute majority in accordance with Article 99.2 of Royal Decree 2568/1986, of November 28, with the favorable vote of the Popular Municipal Group and the Socialist Municipal Group, and the vote against from Vox.

The municipal tax and the effective cost of the service

The agreement maintains the clause by which the Provincial Council of Granada will pass on to the City Council the effective cost of the service based on its use, pursuant to Article 26.6 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. The City Council undertakes to pay the amount of the resulting settlements and will collect the corresponding tax, without prejudice to a possible collection delegation to the Provincial Tax Service.

Furthermore, and in accordance with Article 11.3 of Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, the Loja City Council commits to establishing and maintaining a specific, differentiated, and non-deficit fee that allows for the implementation of pay-as-you-throw systems and includes the actual cost of collection and transport, maintenance and surveillance, as well as awareness campaigns.

• The effective cost will be determined quarterly by the Provincial Waste Collection Service.
• It is calculated by multiplying the tons collected and transported by the cost per ton.
• A regularization will be carried out once the exact quantities are known, and the balance will adjust the settlement of the following quarter.
• Payment must be made within the deadlines set forth in Article 62.2 of the General Tax Law.

Validity, revocation, and entry into force

The delegation is of an indefinite nature, but its effectiveness is conditional: the actual provision of the service will begin once the Provincial Council of Granada has completed the necessary files, particularly the service procurement process. The agreement shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Granada.

The Loja City Council may only revoke the delegation if it justifies to the Provincial Council that it can provide the service at a lower effective cost, and it must reimburse the expenses incurred, including compensation to the contractor. Disputes shall be resolved before the contentious-administrative courts of Granada, and regarding data protection, Law 3/2018, of December 5, and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall apply. The edict is signed by the Mayor-President, Mr. Joaquín Ordóñez Gámez, in Loja on September 17, 2026.

The decision transfers to the provincial administration a service that until now was assumed by the municipality and which directly affects selective collection on public roads and the fee paid by residents. The text leaves the door open for the City Council to pass on the effective cost of the service through the fee, meaning the final economic impact will depend on the tons collected and the quarterly settlements set by the Provincial Council.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Granada, no. 182, September 21, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 60-63 (official reference: BOP-GRA-2026-182022).