Government distributes 7.89 billion euros among regional governments to finance public services

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

At the press briefing following the Council of Ministers, the government reported on the meeting that the Government Delegate Committee for Economic Affairs had on Friday to establish the new distribution of resources of the Fund to Finance the Autonomous Regions.

The Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, highlighted the "unprecedented" effort made by the government during the course of this term of office to provide liquidity to the regional governments and local authorities with difficulties in obtaining funding from the markets. The funds provided through the different mechanisms amount to close on 185 billion euros. The aim, pointed out Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, is "to guarantee the equality of the Spanish people in terms of receiving public services throughout Spain", as well as the right of suppliers to receive payment for their services.

Pool Moncloa / J. M. CuadradoThe Minister for the Treasury and Public Administration Services, Cristóbal Montoro, argued that the special financing instruments have enabled growth to return and jobs to be created, as well as the public deficit to be reduced.

Cristóbal Montoro specified that in the period 2012-2014, these measures amounted to a total of 133.87 billion euros, principally aimed at the Supplier Payment Plan and the Regional Liquidity Fund (Spanish acronym: FLA).The amount for this year is 51.11 billion euros, a figure that includes a zero-cost financing mechanism set up this year and a fund through which the State pays out social benefits if a region is unable to do so. Over the course of the term of office, Catalonia, the Region of Valencia and Andalusia have been, in that order, the regions to receive the greatest financial support.

The Delegate Committee for Economic Affairs distributed the remainder of the Fund to Finance the Autonomous Regions for 2015, which amounts to 7.89 billion euros. Hence, underlined the Minister for the Treasury, this is not an "obligatory distribution" to be carried out with "some type of delay or postponement", but rather of "an addition" to the financing system that is possible thanks to the availability of resources. By region, Catalonia, the Region of Valencia and the Region of Madrid head up the distribution of this excess.

This extra distribution, pointed out Cristóbal Montoro, will also allow the additional expense incurred by the new antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C to be covered.

Specific conditions for the Regional Government of Catalonia

Pool Moncloa / J. M. CuadradoThe minister pointed out that the government appreciates that Catalonia is "in a special situation", and hence has established "specific conditions" for the transfer of funds to suppliers in this region. The reasons quoted by Cristóbal Montoro are the reduction in the rating assigned by the ratings agencies to the debt in Catalonia, the uncovering of 1.3 billion euros that was undeclared - and which represents an additional deficit - and the declarations by representatives of institutions in this region on unpaid debts and breaches of the law.

In order to guarantee that the funds are exclusively allocated to the payment of key public services, he said, this will be paid out in tranches, "according to compliance with the conditions". This involves the electronic connection of the Regional Government of Catalonia with the general point of entry of the electronic invoices of the Central Government. Moreover, the Financial Comptroller of the Regional Government of Catalonia must issue a monthly certificate in which it is stated that the expenses are not in breach of the law. The debt operations will be approved individually, and the State will provide the necessary support to public servants in the implementation of these measures.

In response to questions from journalists, the minister clearly stressed that "the government has not taken over the accounts of the Regional Government of Catalonia, nor of any other regional government" but has guaranteed that "not a single euro" of the amounts transferred to Catalonia within the framework of the liquidity measures has been allocated to funding pro-independence "trends" that are contrary to the law or in breach of the Constitution.

Actions to combat violence and inequality in the Central Government

The Council of Ministers approved the Protocol of Action to Combat Violence at Work in the Central Government and dependent or related public bodies.

The protocol seeks to protect public servants from violence by service users, which includes attacks that take place in the work-place and those that take place outside of it, but in which the attack is motivated by their employment.

The government also approved the second plan for equality between men and women in Central Government and its dependent public bodies.

Pool Moncloa / J. M. CuadradoThe Minister for Health, Social Services and Equality, Alfonso Alonso, explained that the document seeks to reduce inequalities between men and women in their professional careers, increase the chance of conciliation in public employment and support workers that find themselves in a situation of vulnerability.

Alfonso Alonso specified that a good balance exists between women (51.3%) and men (48.7%) in Central Government, although in the recent selective exams, the majority of those who passed were women.

He also stated that the plan contains more than 100 measures to improve the equality of working conditions and remuneration, maintain a balanced presence between the sexes and prevent gender-based violence. By way of example, the minister announced that databases will be created with the professional profiles of women who are qualified to hold positions of responsibility. "We wish to foster the promotion of talented women, and hence, strike a better balance in managerial positions", he said.

Sexual harassment in the Armed Forces

The government approved the protocol of action to combat sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of sex in the Armed Forces, deriving from the latest amendments to military legislation that, for the first time, criminalises this conduct as disciplinary infractions and offences.

The protocol contains measures of a preventive nature and offers immediate protection to victims, guaranteeing their right to privacy, as well as actions to monitor and control the situations of harassment and offer support to victims during each stage of the process.

Alfonso Alonso pointed out that the text clarifies "what must be done, how the treatment of victims should be broached, what officials must do and how action can be provided with due guarantees". The aim, he added "is to ensure zero tolerance of harassment in the Armed Forces".

In this regard, he highlighted the creation of the Harassment Protection Unit (Spanish acronym: UPA) as "a unit outside of the organic chain of command, which will be an important channel for offering psychological assistance, professional, social and legal advice to the victim".

Eradication of violence against women

Pool Moncloa / J. M. CuadradoThe Council of Ministers analysed the first report on the Implementation of the National Strategy to eradicate violence against women 2013-2016. 80% of the measures provided for in the plan have been implemented or are in the process thereof.

Alfonso Alonso indicated that "the most difficult and toughest aspect" is that, by 16 November, 48 women had been murdered in Spain, leaving 42 minors orphaned. However, he pointed out that the figures on those murdered, "whilst still terrible, are the lowest since records began".

The report shows that the number of women that manage to leave a situation of abuse behind them has increased, that the number of complaints filed and calls to the 016 helpline is increasing. Furthermore, the text contains the regulatory progress that has been made, such as access to free legal aid and preliminary legal advice to all victims, as well as the new offences introduced by the Criminal Code.

The minister asserted that the measures are working and "we must continue trusting in the public policies to support women and combat gender-based violence".

On another note, the government reaffirmed its commitment to the fight against gender-based violence with the approval of an institutional declaration on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which will be commemorated on 25 November.

Promoting conciliation

The government examined the first periodic report for 2012-2013 and the main actions in 2014-2015 for effective equality between men and women. The text concludes that equal opportunity policies have played a central role in the government's actions in all areas.

Alfonso Alonso pointed out that there are figures that reflect the improvements on the issue of equality, such as the fact that two out of every three entrepreneurs in Spain are women and that the percentage of women on boards of directors of IBEX 35 companies has risen from 12% to 18%. He also recalled that as from 1 January 2016 all women who retire and who have had two or more children will see their pension increased.

Meeting of National Security Council

Pool Moncloa / J. M. CuadradoAt the press briefing following the Council of Ministers, the Vice-President of the Government reported on the extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council held on Friday morning at Moncloa Palace. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría specified that the meeting was used to take stock of the main actions carried out by the government at an international and domestic level since the attacks took place in Paris last Friday night.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría confirmed that both she and the President of the Government have been in contact with the leaders of other political parties and social organisations to convey to them the information available and the decisions adopted within a climate of loyalty and unity. Furthermore, the President of the Government immediately contacted the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, and the Prime Minister, Manuel Valls.

At an international level, the President of the Government took part in a meeting of the G-20 and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Defence, Justice and Home Affairs have attended various meetings.
The National Security Council also reviewed Spain's participation in various operations on Friday, from among which Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría highlighted the 301 servicemen and women in Iraq, its defensive presence in Turkey under the NATO command, its presence in Mali, in the Central African Republic and in Senegal. In total, she recalled that 2,238 military personnel are deployed and that this deployment received "widespread" support from the political forces present in the Lower House of Parliament.

The Vice-President of the Government denied that Spanish troops were going to replace French troops in the fight against Jihadi terrorism in Africa, as reported in certain media. "This hypothesis is not on the table, nor have we been asked for this, nor have we offered this", she stated.

The Government of Spain, she underlined, "expresses its outright denial of any form of offer of a unilateral nature to France on changes to military deployment following the attacks in Paris".

Other agreements

• Regulation of vehicle rentals with a driver. The aim is to step up legal certainty applicable to the sector and to appropriately distinguish these services from those provided by the public passenger transport sector in passenger vehicles (taxis).
• Approval of a Royal Decree on the organisation, supervision and solvency of insurance and reinsurance companies. This thus completes the adaptation of the insurance sector to the Solvency II Directive, which seeks to protect consumers and the stability of the European financial system.
• Regulation of the general characteristics of final evaluation tests in Primary Education, with the aim of ensuring common characteristics throughout Spain.
• Establishment of minimum requirements that special Civil Protection plans must comply with in light of the risk of seaquakes and radiological risks.