"Law 8/1999 of "Comarcas" of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria" of 28 April 1999 establishes that the comarca is a necessary entity, integral in the territorial organization of the region. This law opens the development of the "comarcalization" in Cantabria promoting the creation of "comarcal" entities, which have barely begun to appear. The law establishes that the creation of comarcas will not become mandatory for the whole territory until at least the 70% of it had not been "comarcalized" by its own will. It also adds that Santander will not ruled by comarcalization and should establish its own metropolitan area instead.