Small businesses in Vitoria-Gasteiz are being fined for placing products and signs outside their shops, despite a city ordinance promised in 2021 that remains unapproved. Merchants and political groups are calling for clear, fair rules to avoid further penalties and uncertainty.
Several shop owners in Vitoria-Gasteiz have been hit with fines for displaying goods and promotional signs on the sidewalk, reigniting calls for the city to finally deliver on a clear set of rules for street displays. The penalties, which have affected fruit shops, florists, and clothing stores, come as the city’s long-promised ordinance on commercial use of public space remains stalled five years after it was first announced.
EH Bildu, the Basque nationalist party, has publicly criticized the city council for penalizing small businesses without first establishing a specific regulation. According to party spokesperson Rocío Vitero, the fines target everyday practices—such as placing a rack of scarves, a basket of flowers, or a commercial sign outside a shop—that are common in many Spanish cities. Vitero noted that in January 2021, then-mayor Gorka Urtaran pledged to introduce an ordinance to clarify what businesses could legally display on the street. Yet, as she pointed out, 'five years later, we have nothing—except fines for local shops.'
Uncertainty for Local Businesses
The current fines are being issued under the city’s general public space ordinance, which treats these displays as obstacles on the sidewalk. EH Bildu argues this approach leaves business owners in a state of insecurity, unsure whether their efforts to attract customers could result in penalties. The lack of a dedicated regulation, they say, puts local commerce at a disadvantage and creates confusion over what is actually permitted.
The proposed ordinance was originally intended to support street-level businesses by allowing them to showcase products outdoors in a regulated way. However, with the regulation still pending, merchants now face sanctions for practices that are routine elsewhere, such as displaying fruit, flowers, clothing, or advertising boards outside their premises.
City Hall Cites Complexity
City officials acknowledge the delay. María Nanclares, the city’s councillor for commerce, admitted that the regulation remains in limbo, describing it as a complex issue that involves multiple municipal departments and must be tailored to Vitoria-Gasteiz’s urban reality. Nanclares emphasized that the future ordinance should address not only commercial displays but also signage and other elements used by both retailers and hospitality businesses to attract passersby.
While Nanclares expressed willingness to collaborate, she noted that the main responsibility for the regulation lies with the Public Space department, currently headed by Beatriz Artolazabal of the PNV. For now, shop owners are left waiting for clear guidance on what is allowed and what could lead to fines, as the absence of a specific ordinance continues to fuel tension between local commerce and city authorities.
Broader Context
The situation in Vitoria-Gasteiz highlights a wider challenge faced by small businesses across Spain: balancing the need to attract customers with evolving urban regulations. As property prices and commercial pressures mount, some families are even considering building their own homes as an alternative to traditional retail or residential options, a trend explored in this recent analysis of Spain’s changing property landscape. For Vitoria’s shopkeepers, however, the immediate concern remains the lack of clear, fair rules for using public space—a problem that, for now, shows no sign of resolution.
