Government approves Regulation on Rail Traffic

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers approved the Regulation on Rail Traffic, which forms part of the raft of measures implemented to improve the sector.

The Minister for Public Works, Ana Pastor, explained that the new legislation has been adapted to the present structure of the system, which is characterised by the separation of powers and responsibilities between the infrastructure administrators and the railway operators. Furthermore, it has been adapted to the European legal framework to facilitate interoperability between the different Member States.

Ana Pastor pointed out that the main aim of this legislation is "to provide Spanish railways with high safety and quality standards and to become more efficient and punctual, both under normal operating conditions and under special conditions".

In a single document the legislation gathers together and simplifies the current legislation of the three State railway systems: metric gauge, conventional gauge and high-speed travel, and commits to the modernisation of railway installations and the incorporation of new technologies.

The minister highlighted that signalling will also be improved on lines by identifying areas requiring special attention, such as approaches to major stations and where lines branch off. It also simplifies and unifies all the traffic operating procedures to adapt them to the different types of journeys and trains that travel on Spanish lines.
Ana Pastor highlighted that all professional train drivers in Spain, as well as requiring certain mandatory training to attain the post of driver, also have specific preparation "for each line and train they operate".

More high-speed kilometres and more passengers

Pool MoncloaThe Minister for Public Works recalled that during this term of office, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to increase the efficiency of the railway sector, resulting in Spanish trains transporting 1.6 million more passengers. Moreover, the new railway structure will add 1,000 additional kilometres of high-speed track in the coming months, hence extending the AVE network to a total of 4,000 kilometres. At present, it is the second most extensive network in the world.

The number of passengers on high-speed trains has increased by 35% on 2012. In the first half of 2015 alone, figures have reached 15 million passengers, of whom 15% are first-time travellers. According to the minister, the new fare policy with various forms of discount "has already proved to be a success".

Ana Pastor added that the Railway Sector Act, currently in its passage through Parliament, will profoundly transform the Spanish system, and "generates thousands of jobs, technology with maximum specificity and has made it possible for Spanish companies to operate in many places around the world".

During her appearance, the minister also announced that Renfe and Iberia will launch an integrated ticket in the coming weeks that will enable international flights and AVE journeys in Spain to be combined.

Subsidies to boost 'smart cities'

Pool MoncloaThe government approved two new rounds of subsidies within the framework of the Smart City Plan, that forms part of the Digital Agenda for Spain and seeks to boost the use of digital tools to improve the provision of public goods and services. This is the '2nd Round of Subsidies for Smart Cities' and the '1st Round of Smart Islands' with a total budget of 78 million euros.

Local bodies with more than 20,000 inhabitants throughout Spain - local councils, local authorities, provincial councils, district councils and island councils - may benefit under the '2nd Round of Smart Cities', with a budgetary provision of 48 million euros. The maximum amount per project requested is eight million euros. According to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, these subsidies are geared towards initiatives that offer greater efficiency in the management of services.

Local authorities that manage public services throughout the whole territory of any island in the Balearic and Canary Islands can opt to be included within the '1st Round of Smart Islands', with a budgetary provision of 30 million euros. The aim is to finance projects that improve public services through greater use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

On track for another record year for the tourism sector

Also within the scope of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the Council of Ministers analysed a report to monitor the National Comprehensive Tourism Plan and the progress of this sector.

José Manuel Soria recalled that this plan, which was approved on 22 June 2012, contains all the lines that guide tourism policy in Spain. Its goals include increasing the weighting, profitability and employment in the sector, providing greater market unity, boosting the internationalisation of tourism operators and increasing the renown of Marca España.

Pool MoncloaAs regards the current situation, the minister explained that Spain has moved up from fourth to third place in the number of inbound tourists, behind only France and the United States. Specifically, it received 65 million tourists last year. Furthermore, Spain holds second place in terms of total tourist spending, with 63 billion euros. One of the government's goals is precisely to increase average tourist spending; José Manuel Soria pointed to the Tourism Shopping Plan 2015 as one of the initiatives adopted to achieve this goal.

The minister also highlighted that Spain heads up the classification of tourism competitiveness drawn up by the World Economic Forum. Whilst this indicator includes elements such as climate and territory, it also includes the increasing diversification of the Spanish tourism offer, the priority given to tourism in public policy as a whole and safety, pointed out José Manuel Soria.

"Safety in the broadest sense of the term, not only the safety with which tourists can move throughout the country, but also from the point of view of the National Health System; any tourist can resort to any regional service in any part of Spain and be attended with quality standards which are very highly rated", he stressed.

The minister declared that the outlook for this summer is very good and that "the reality during the course of the whole of this month of July is confirming" these forecasts, progress to which the development of the economies in emitting tourist countries is contributing - mainly the United Kingdom, Germany and France - and also the economic recovery and increased consumption in Spain. "Spaniards are travelling more both within Spain and beyond", he claimed.

José Manuel Soria specified that the number of overnight stays will increase by some 20% this summer and that the level of occupancy will reach 90% in some places on the coast; positive occupancy figures are also expected for interior and rural tourism. The number of tourists is increasing at a rate in excess of 5% and, "if things continue this way", he concluded, "this year we will probably see a new all-time record in the tourism sector once again".

Agreements of an administrative nature

Pool MoncloaThe Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, reported on the amendment to the Regulation on electronic access to public services with the aim of extending the Electronic Register of Powers of Attorney which citizens can use both in person and electronically.

The government also agreed to a loan transfer between the Ministry of the Treasury and Public Administration Services and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism to integrate the single business window and the single window of the Services Directive at Entrepreneur Contact Points.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría remarked that this integration will mean offering a single network of offices to attend to entrepreneurs, with one single name and brand, with the aim of avoiding additional costs due to duplication, improving information for citizens and offering a complete electronic service for all those phases that a company may undergo.

The Government Spokesperson highlighted that these and other actions further develop the measures contained in the report by the Committee for the Reform of the Public Administration Services (Spanish acronym: CORA). On this point, she announced that 2,297 public bodies and enterprises have already been eliminated under this reform.

Child safety

The Council of Ministers amended the General Traffic Regulation in relation to the obligatory use of safety belts and child restraint devices in vehicles.

The Vice-President of the Government stated that, as from 1 October, minors of a height equal to or less than 135 cm may only travel in the rear seats of a vehicle unless these are occupied by minors travelling in child seats, when it is not possible to install them or if the vehicle has no rear seats.

On another note, the General Vehicle Regulation is amended to regulate manufacturers and importers of vehicles to issue the MOT card in an electronic format costing 2 euros instead of 30 euros for its issue on paper. The measure will result in a saving of 30,704,800 euros.

Committee against Terrorism

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría confirmed that the government has agreed with the United Nations Organization to hold a Special Meeting of the UN Security Council Committee against Terrorism in Madrid on 27 and 28 July.
"The fight against terrorism is one of this government's priorities and one of the main lines of Foreign State Action. Hence, in its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2015 and 2016, we have taken on active participation in international initiatives as a priority, such as the fight against terrorism", she said.

Current affairs

Pool MoncloaThe Vice-President of the Government, in response to questions from journalists, pointed out that the interview held on Friday morning between King Felipe VI and the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, falls within their respective constitutional duties, just as it does with audiences for other regional presidents, and "reminds us all how things are in Spain" where there is a Head of State that periodically calls together the leaders of regional governments.

In relation to the intended sovereign nature of the Catalan elections that have been called, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría called for "everyone to uphold the Constitution and the law" because "no-one is above the Constitution and the law", which would be tantamount "to saying that one is above the sovereign people". Finally, she recalled that all those decisions of the Regional Government of Catalonia that are contrary to the Spanish Constitution have been appealed against by the Central Government, with very positive results and "as has always happened", any unlawful actions will continue to be challenged.

When asked about a possible reduction in tourist VAT, José Manuel Soria explained that it is lower than in our competitor countries, it is not a restriction for the sector and that there is "no proposal on the table" at this time.