Barcelona’s city council recorded 242 violations during a coordinated inspection of 23 supermarkets operating around the clock in the Gràcia district. The operation took place on October 29 and resulted in 11 precautionary closures, deputy mayor Laia Bonet said. The stated reasons included irregularities involving electrical installations and the presence of pests.
The inspection was part of the city’s Pla Endreça and covered self-service stores, supermarkets, food shops and greengrocers. Inspectors checked compliance with business licences, public-health requirements, rules on the use of public space and the urban landscape, waste management, tax obligations, employment conditions and possible electricity fraud.
Of the 242 violations, 99 concerned business licences, 52 the urban landscape, 23 public health, 23 waste management and five the use of public space. A further 10 related to labour and social security rules, while 15 concerned municipal taxes and 15 state taxes.
The operation involved the Guardia Urbana, city inspection and public-health services, the Catalan labour inspectorate, the municipal tax institute, the city’s waste-management department, Spain’s tax agency, Endesa and the National Police.
Bonet said the city was responding to the growth of 24-hour supermarkets, which she said is often accompanied by violations and can displace local shops. Before the summer, the municipal government suspended licences for new 24-hour supermarkets. Bonet said the city also intended to strengthen oversight of businesses already operating.
Since November 2023, Barcelona has carried out large-scale inspections in Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Sants-Montjuïc, Gràcia, Nou Barris and Sant Martí. The city says it has inspected 682 businesses, recorded 5,097 violations and imposed 110 precautionary measures, with more than 1,200 personnel involved across the operations.
Sources: elDiario.es.