Barcelona immediately suspends the granting of new licenses for 24-hour commercial establishments.

We hereby inform you that the Government Commission of the Barcelona City Council has approved a temporary suspension on granting new licenses for self-service shops and superservices authorized to operate 24 hours a day.

The measure, published this morning in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (BOPB), takes effect immediately and will remain in force for one year. The purpose of this moratorium is to allow time for the drafting of a new urban planning scheme aimed at protecting local neighborhood commerce and preserving commercial diversity across the city.

Scope of Application and Affected Establishments

The suspension specifically affects the following categories of food establishments which, under their current licensing terms, are permitted to operate 24 hours a day:

• Multi-product food store (Polivalent alimentari).

• Self-service store (Autoservei — sales area from 60 m² to less than 150 m²).

• Superservice store (Superservei — sales area from 150 m² to less than 400 m²).

• Superservice store with retail meat sales (Superservei amb venda al detall de productes carnis — sales area from 250 m² to less than 400 m²).

• Convenience store (Botiga de conveniència).

This measure halts both the granting of new licenses and the processing of building permits (work communications) intended for setting up or expanding these specific activities.

Territorial Exemptions

The districts of Sant Martí and Ciutat Vella are excluded from this suspension, as they already have their own recent and restrictive regulatory frameworks in place, which align with the criteria of the upcoming municipal planning.