Catalonia's housing law delayed as opposition blocks vote

The Catalan Parliament has postponed the final vote on a draft law aimed at curbing speculative housing purchases in pressure‑tensioned markets. The postponement follows requests from Junts per Catalunya and the People’s Party (PP) for a legal opinion from the Consell de Garanties Estatutàries (CGE), which automatically suspends parliamentary proceedings. The proposed law would amend urban‑planning regulations to allow municipalities to restrict purchases intended for resale, short‑term rentals or other speculative uses, limiting acquisitions to primary residence, family use or long‑term rental. Opponents argue the measure infringes constitutional property rights, threatens business freedom and exceeds the Generalitat’s competence, raising concerns about legal certainty. The delay pushes the vote to after the summer recess, likely in late September or early October, leaving the governing coalition to resolve internal disagreements over the law’s scope and implementation.