Audiencia Nacional to oversee Palomares radioactive decontamination lawsuit

The Audiencia Nacional has declared itself competent to judge the Spanish government's inactivity regarding the cleanup of radioactive contamination in Palomares. The Administrative Litigation Chamber assumed jurisdiction over a legal challenge filed by the association Salvemos Mojácar y el Levante Almeriense against the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The lawsuit follows administrative silence from the Ministry regarding a formal request made in June 2026 to establish a definitive timeline for soil decontamination. While the State Attorney's Office argued the case should be handled by the High Court of Justice of Valencia, the Audiencia Nacional ruled that because the matter involves nuclear energy and public security, it falls under the judicial control of the Secretary of State for Energy.