Landscape Law of La Rioja Challenged: What Happens to Your State Projects

Key data

If you have an infrastructure, energy or telecommunications project in La Rioja that depends on state authorization, Law 4/2025 on the Landscape of La Rioja has just become partially inapplicable to you. The Government has filed constitutional challenge no. 2525-2026 against seven specific provisions of that regional regulation, and the suspension is immediate while the Constitutional Court resolves the matter.

The conflict is the classic clash between regional territorial planning regulations and the State's exclusive competences. La Rioja approved its Landscape Law with the intention of general application, but the Government considers that several of its articles infringe state competences when applied to actions promoted or authorized by the General State Administration.

What does this regulation establish?

Constitutional challenge no. 2525-2026 challenges the following provisions of the Law 4/2025, of July 1, on the Landscape of La Rioja:

The challenge does not annul the Landscape Law of La Rioja as a whole. It only suspends the application of these seven provisions when the action in question is within state competence: infrastructure, facilities or projects promoted or authorized by the General State Administration.

For the rest of actions—private projects, regional or local actions without state authorization—Law 4/2025 remains fully applicable.

Economic and operational impact

The suspension of these articles has direct consequences on the planning and execution of projects in La Rioja:

• State infrastructure projects: Works or facilities promoted or authorized by the State in La Rioja are not obliged to comply with the landscape requirements of the challenged articles while the constitutional process lasts.
• Energy projects: Energy facilities requiring state authorization—such as large wind or solar parks subject to Ministry competence—are temporarily outside the scope of application of those provisions.
• Telecommunications: Telecommunications infrastructure with state authorization is also not subject to those articles during the pendency of the challenge.
• Regulatory uncertainty: The final resolution of the Constitutional Court may restore the application of these provisions or declare them unconstitutional, which requires promoters to maintain vigilance over the process.

The real operational risk is uncertainty: not knowing whether, once the challenge is resolved, projects already initiated will have to be adapted to the regional landscape requirements. Planning with that contingency in mind is key.

Who does it affect?

• Promoters of infrastructure projects in La Rioja that depend on state authorization (national roads, railways, hydraulic works).
• Companies in the energy sector with projects subject to authorization by the Ministry for Ecological Transition (large renewable installations, electricity transmission networks).
• Telecommunications operators with infrastructure authorized by the State in La Rioja territory.
• General State Administration and its dependent bodies that promote actions in La Rioja.
• Legal advisors and consultants who accompany promoters in the processing of projects in La Rioja.
• CFOs and operations directors of companies with projects underway or in the planning phase in La Rioja who must assess regulatory impact.

Practical example

A company promoting a renewable energy park in La Rioja that requires authorization from the Ministry for Ecological Transition—because it exceeds the power thresholds that determine state competence—was obliged to comply with the landscape requirements established in articles 13.3, 14, 22.3, 23.6, 24, 28 and the second transitional provision of Law 4/2025.

Following the filing of constitutional challenge no. 2525-2026, those provisions remain suspended for its project. This means that, during the processing of the challenge before the Constitutional Court, the company is not obliged to apply those specific articles in its state authorization process.

However, if the Constitutional Court ultimately resolves that those articles are constitutional and restores them, the company will have to assess whether its project complies with the regional landscape requirements. Therefore, it is advisable that the legal team analyze the content of those provisions and evaluate the potential impact on the project design.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your project requires state authorization: Determine whether your action in La Rioja is promoted or authorized by the General State Administration. If so, the challenged articles do not apply to you while the constitutional process lasts.
2. Review the seven suspended provisions: Analyze the content of articles 13.3, 14, 22.3, 23.6, 24, 28 and the second transitional provision of Law 4/2025 to understand what landscape obligations are suspended for your project.
3. Assess the risk of reactivation: The Constitutional Court may restore these articles if it declares them constitutional. Evaluate with your legal team whether the current design of your project would comply with those requirements in case they are restored.
4. Monitor the Constitutional Court's resolution: Establish an alert system to learn of the resolution of challenge no. 2525-2026 as soon as it occurs, as it may change the regulatory framework applicable to your project.
5. Document the current regulatory situation: Keep a record in the project files that the suspension of these provisions is in effect, with reference to challenge no. 2525-2026 published on April 21, 2026.