Association of Municipalities

The entity that coordinates and provides services to the eight municipalities of Sierra de las Nieves, working together for the development, sustainability and quality of life of the region.

The Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Sierra de las Nieves is a public supra-municipal entity established under local government legislation. It was created in the years prior to the declaration of the Biosphere Reserve, as a response to the shared identity and common concerns of the municipalities in the region, with the aim of taking the first steps towards the recognition of the territory as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, achieved in 1995.

Since then, the Mancomunidad has brought together the municipalities to jointly plan, establish and manage works, services and activities that none of them could undertake alone with the same level of efficiency. Its territorial scope covers all the municipalities that form part of the association, and its headquarters are located in Tolox, in the heart of the region.

Its work ranges from promoting tourism and culture to the environmental management of the Biosphere Reserve, support for women, training and employment initiatives, and technical assistance for local councils. Ultimately, it is the organisation through which Sierra de las Nieves speaks and acts with a single voice.

Objectives

• Provide joint services that improve the quality of life of the population.
• Promote sustainable economic and social development throughout the region.
• Coordinate the management and protection of the World Biosphere Reserve.
• Highlight and preserve the territory’s natural, cultural and human heritage.
• Represent the common interests of the municipalities before other administrations.

Responsibilities

• Information and promotion of cultural and tourism activities throughout the region.
• Planning of environmental information and education initiatives aimed at sustainability within the Biosphere Reserve.
• Technical advisory services for municipalities and environmental support.
• Use of forest resources whose management falls under the responsibility of local councils.
• Provision of regional social and equality services.

Statutes

Consult the complete text of the Statutes of the Mancomunidad, published in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía.

The towns that make up the Mancomunidad de la Sierra de las Nieves, united by a shared regional identity.

The Mancomunidad is organised through democratic bodies made up of representatives from all the local councils.

The government and administration of the Mancomunidad are entrusted to its collegiate and individual bodies, made up of representatives appointed by the municipalities that form part of the association. Decision-making is carried out collectively, ensuring that all the towns in the region have a voice and vote in matters of common interest.

The main bodies are:

The Mancomunidad Assembly

This is the highest governing body, equivalent to a municipal council plenary session. It is made up of representatives appointed by each municipality and is responsible for the most important decisions, including the approval of budgets and accounts, amendments to the statutes, the election of the Presidency and the main decisions concerning the organisation.

The Presidency

This is the individual governing body responsible for representing the Mancomunidad, managing its administration and promoting its services and projects. It is elected from among the members of the Assembly.

The Vice-Presidencies

They replace the Presidency, in order of appointment, in the event of vacancy, absence or illness, and assume the same powers.

The Special Accounts Committee

Responsible for reviewing and reporting on the annual accounts before their approval by the Assembly.