> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Apartur: EU housing plan challenges Barcelona tourist flat ban - URL: https://barna.news/apartur-eu-housing-plan-challenges/ - Published: 2026-09-08T13:58:17.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-08T13:58:17.000Z - Description: The Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona says a new European Commission proposal undermines the city's plan to phase out tourist lets by 2028. - Author: Laia Serra - Tags: housing ## EU regulation 'questions' local ban The Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona (Apartur) has stated that a forthcoming European Commission proposal on affordable housing calls into question the Barcelona City Council’s decision to eliminate tourist apartments by 2028\. The claim, made in a statement issued on Tuesday 8 September 2026, follows the imminent release of the Commission’s Affordable Housing Regulation. According to Apartur, the draft EU regulation sets strict conditions for public authorities wishing to impose restrictions on short-term rentals. It reinforces principles of proportionality, legal certainty, and evidence-based decision-making, standards the group says are not met by Decree Law 3/2023 of the Generalitat, the legal basis for Mayor Jaume Collboni’s policy. --- ## Legal incompatibility claimed Apartur argues that the European draft highlights weaknesses in Catalonia’s current legal framework and demonstrates its incompatibility with European Union law. The group represents owners and operators of short-term rental properties in the city and has long opposed the 2028 phase-out deadline. Marian Muro, general director of Apartur, said: "The European proposal marks a very different path than the one being followed in Barcelona: decisions affecting a legal activity must be based on data, be proportionate, consider less restrictive alternatives, and guarantee the legal certainty of those affected." > "The European proposal marks a very different path than the one being followed in Barcelona.", Marian Muro, general director of Apartur The association welcomed the EU draft as aligning with key demands it previously submitted to the European Parliament regarding short-term rental policies. It sees the new regulation as a potential legal tool to challenge Barcelona’s restrictive approach. --- ## City's plan under pressure Barcelona’s plan to remove all tourist flats from residential neighbourhoods by 2028 forms part of a broader strategy to address housing shortages and overtourism. However, Apartur contends that the city’s approach fails to meet emerging EU standards for regulating the short-term rental market. The European Commission’s Affordable Housing Regulation is expected to be formally unveiled later this week. While it will not have immediate legal force, its principles could influence future enforcement actions or legal challenges within member states. --- *Reported by democrata.es, diariosigloxxi.com, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, en.ara.cat, europapress.es, eleconomista.es, Resumen de Prensa, reuters.com, Europa Press Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Foreign-Owned Properties Double in Barcelona by 2026](https://barna.news/foreign-owned-properties-double-in/) - [Sumar seeks Junts backing for new housing decree](https://barna.news/sumar-seeks-junts-backing-for-new/) - [Housing speculation bill paused after legal ruling](https://barna.news/housing-speculation-bill-paused-after/) - [Pisarello open to landlord tax relief for housing decree](https://barna.news/pisarello-open-to-landlord-tax-relief/)