The V Conference of Presidents agrees on the criteria for the Canary Islands Development Fund 2026-2036, which will exceed 2.6 billion euros. Housing, social health infrastructure and innovation will be the main axes.
The Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN) enters a new phase. The V Conference of Presidents, held this Thursday at the Government Presidency headquarters in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has given the green light to the strategic lines of the FDCAN for the period 2026-2036. The agreement, reached between the Canary Government, the seven councils and the municipalities, includes a multiannual investment that will exceed 2.6 billion euros, with three clear priorities: housing, social health infrastructure and innovation.
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, explained after the meeting that the guaranteed base budget from the regional government amounts to 1.626 billion euros, but the final figure will rise to approximately 2.6 billion thanks to contributions from the island corporations. “The FDCAN has been an extraordinary instrument for economic development and territorial cohesion,” highlighted the president of the Canary Islands Federation (FECAI), Antonio Morales, who also valued the “correctness” of focusing the new fund on the current challenges of the archipelago.
Distribution by islands and investment axes
The pact establishes that 50% of the new fund will be allocated to public works, 35% to social health infrastructure, and 15% to R&D+i. Housing is included within the public works chapter, but is configured as one of the driving lines. In addition, the co-financing percentages differentiated by island are maintained: the Government will contribute 50% in Gran Canaria and Tenerife; 80% in Lanzarote, La Palma and Fuerteventura; and 90% in La Gomera and El Hierro. “If we bet on equal islands and territorial cohesion, it is important that the Government supports the non-capital islands,” Clavijo emphasized.
The Canary president recalled that the previous FDCAN, in force from 2016 to 2026, invested 2.619 billion euros and generated an economic impact of 4.504 billion, in addition to creating 47,287 jobs across all the islands. “We trust that this new phase will replicate and even improve those results,” he stated.
Administrative simplification and strengthening of control
One of the innovations of the FDCAN 2026-2036 is the commitment to simplify the legal regime. Clavijo explained that procedures that “added little value or slowed down execution” will be eliminated. At the same time, the mechanisms for planning, monitoring, evaluation and financial control will be strengthened to ensure more effective management. “The draft decree is open and will receive contributions from all institutions to enrich it,” the president pointed out.
Antonio Morales, also present at the conference, thanked the Government for its willingness to improve the regulatory text with suggestions from councils and municipalities. “We are going to finalize a fully consensual text,” he assured. In addition, it was agreed to extend the certification period for projects already underway by one year, which will give local corporations more leeway.
Next steps
The agreement from the Conference of Presidents will materialize in a decree that will be approved by the Government Council. Subsequently, the Autonomous Community will negotiate and sign execution agreements with each of the seven councils. From there, each island corporation will design and plan, in conjunction with its municipalities, the specific projects that will be financed with the average 162 million euros per year that the fund anticipates.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of the seven councils: Antonio Morales (Gran Canaria), Rosa Dávila (Tenerife), Lola García (Fuerteventura), Sergio Rodríguez (La Palma), Casimiro Curbelo (La Gomera), Ana González (El Hierro) and María Jesús Tovar (Lanzarote). The president of the Canary Federation of Municipalities (FECAM), Mari Brito, also attended as a guest.
Impact on citizens
For the people of the Canary Islands, the new FDCAN will translate into more public housing developments, new places in social health centres, and innovation projects aimed at diversifying the economy. The municipalities will play a key role in defining the works and services to be financed, so it is expected that resources will reach all municipalities, with special attention to the non-capital islands. Administrative simplification should also expedite project execution, reducing waiting times.
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