The Official College of Secretaries, Comptrollers, and Treasurers of Local Administration (Cosital) of the province of Valencia has warned about the complications arising from the new waste fee. This measure, derived from Law 7/2022, establishes the principle of
“"the polluter pays"
and obliges local entities to approve a specific, differentiated, and non-deficit fee to finance waste collection and treatment services before April 2025. One year after its implementation, the application of this measure has not achieved the expected objectives.
According to Cosital, citizens are reluctant to accept this new levy, while local councils face significant technical difficulties in calculating the real cost of the service without generating a deficit. All of this occurs in a context of confrontation over its implementation.
“"The financing of waste management has become a true legal labyrinth for municipalities."
The role of national civil servants (secretaries, comptrollers, and treasurers of local administration) is key to ensuring the legality and financial viability of fiscal ordinances. These professionals are the pillar that allows a fiscal ordinance to be an effective and legally compliant tool.
Furthermore, Cosital emphasizes the difficulty of balancing service costs with social reality, seeking formulas that allow the fee to be fair and comply with the legal mandate. The current situation shows an increase in judicial conflicts, with various resolutions having declared municipal ordinances null and void due to deficiencies in technical-economic reports or failure to incorporate systems that incentivize waste reduction, such as pay-as-you-throw. These decisions have in some cases forced the suspension of collection or the refund of already collected amounts.
The ambitious regulation poses a communication challenge for local administrations. Cosital insists on the need to better convey information to citizens, explaining that behind each bill there is a technical effort to adapt the municipality to current climatic and regulatory requirements. The origin of this obligation is European, and its non-compliance could lead to economic sanctions for the Spanish State, marking a change in the model of financing municipal services. We are facing the end of 'free' waste and a system that demands greater transparency and understanding from citizens.
