Government approves emergency measures to repair storm-damage

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers approved a Royal Decree Law on emergency measures to repair the damage caused by successive rainstorms, snowfall and strong winds that have affected virtually the whole country since the month of January.

The Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, remarked that the text provides for cover for all effects that take place from now to 31 May. "Despite the effects of the storms still persisting in certain areas and the final count of the damage caused not having been definitively evaluated, it is necessary to adopt emergency measures now", she argued.

According to the provisional estimations provided by the various public authorities, the losses to date amount to some 105 million euros. Around 100 million correspond to State-owned assets and the rest to non-State owned and private assets.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Jorge Fernández Díaz, pointed out that the Decree Law particularly provides for the consequences of the flooding due to rising water levels of the River Ebro, "the worst in 20 years", which have flooded around 20,000 hectares and forced some 1,500 people to abandon their homes.

Emergency aid

Jorge Fernández Díaz explained that the measures seek to re-establish the normal operation of the public services in the areas affected, initiate the necessary repairs and help individuals affected.

Within the scope of his department, the minister highlighted the emergency aid to cover personal injury, material damage to property and goods, and to agricultural holdings. The use of this concept instead of the usual concept of "agricultural establishments" means aid can be extended to essential elements which cannot be insured, such as private roads and the loss of arable land, he specified.

Pool MoncloaAid is also to be provided for individuals and legal entities that have made personal allowances or provided other goods, and for local authorities to cover the expenses outlaid to deal with the emergency situation (such as clearing snow or mud, or to drain water away).

The Minister for Home Affairs underlined that, on this occasion, the requirements for granting aid are more flexible: the term for present applications is extended from one to two months and the term for resolving these applications is reduced from six months to three.

Local infrastructures and tax breaks

In particular response to the damage caused in Aragon, the text includes certain specific measures to be delegated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Affairs. The main new feature is additional forms of aid to owners of agricultural holdings and livestock breeders who, whilst having insurance cover under a Combined Agricultural Insurance Plan, have suffered losses exceeding 30% of their total production.

Furthermore, the Council of Ministers may exempt those repair and refitting works on infrastructures, equipment and facilities that must be carried out under an emergency procedure from being subject to an environmental impact assessment.

The Decree Law also provides for aid and subsidies for the financing of works on local infrastructures, as well as tax breaks - Municipal Property Tax, Tax on Economic Activities and Personal Income Tax - and employment and Social Security-related measures.

The Minister for Home Affairs expressed the government's gratitude to all those people and institutions that "have been collaborating and continue collaborating to tackle these events, guaranteeing the security of people and property as far as possible". The Military Emergency Unit alone has managed to mobilise some 450 members, he said.

As regards the request to clean riverbeds as a measure to prevent flooding, he specified that in 2013 and 2014, 70 million euros were allocated to these tasks with a further 25 million earmarked for 2015.

Employment Activation Programme

Pool MoncloaThe Council of Ministers also authorised an extraordinary loan of 850 million euros to finance the 2015 Employment Activation Programme.

This initiative, approved on 19 December last, through an agreement with social stakeholders, is a specific and extraordinary temporary plan aimed at the long-term unemployed with family responsibilities that have seen their unemployment benefits dry up but who meet the requirements established.

According to the indications of the Vice-President of the Government, "the financing of this aid will be charged to the State public service budget, while the regional government will have to pay for the insertion actions included in the programme".

Appeal against Foreign Action Law of Catalonia

On another note, the government, after requesting a report from the Council of State, decided to lodge an appeal against the unconstitutional nature of certain rules contained in Law 16/2014, of 4 December, on the Foreign Action of Catalonia and its Relations with the European Union. The government considers that the Catalan regional law breaches two articles of the Spanish Constitution: Article 149.1 3º "which reserves exclusive powers over international relations to the State", and Article 97 "which expressly states that foreign policy falls under the Government of the Nation".

The Vice-President of the Government argued that the text appealed against "seeks to develop a specific public diplomacy for Catalonia", but since Catalonia is not a State, "it is not subject to international law and has no capacity to establish these types of diplomatic relations".

Other agreements

Pool MoncloaThe Council of Ministers also approved a Royal Decree on Notary Demarcation, which seeks to adapt the number of notaries to current economic needs and strengthen the freedom of choice of notary. According to Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the current demarcation rules were approved in 2007 and responded to the needs on an expansive economic situation. At the present time, she added, "we need to adapt them to current demand". She also pointed out that the maximum number of notaries will be maintained in rural areas as far as possible, "particularly single-member offices".

Furthermore, the government authorised the signing of a Protocol to amend the International Convention on Aircraft Security. In this regard, The Vice-President of the Government declared that, for the first time under international law, on-board security personnel will be regulated, "such as pilot collaborators on particularly conflictive flights when operating in States that are parties to the protocol".

Current affairs

When asked about the government's assessment of the polls that point to a trend towards fewer votes for the People's Party in Andalusia, the Vice-President of the Government stressed that the important surveys are those on "election day" and that it is the government's jobs "to comply with the mandate received from the Spanish people, exit the crisis and consolidate recovery".

She said that there is evidence of the "recovery now reaching families". This is reflected in the confidence data for the months of January and February, "the best since records began", and the latest economic figures, among which she cited lower unemployment in January - the best figure for this month in the last 14 years - the improvement in the indices for consumption and vehicle sales, and the creation of between 1,200 and 1,400 new jobs each day. "Our citizens have assessed that the effort has been very significant" and that "on the international stage, Spain is now seen as one of the most serious and solvent countries", she concluded.

Pool MoncloaAs regards the alleged blackmail of the President of the Regional Government of Madrid, Ignacio González, by members of the National Police, the Minister for Home Affairs pointed out that this is an ongoing case and hence should be treated "with caution and prudence".

At any event, she remarked, the facts took place on 29 November 2011, when the members of the first Cabinet of the People's Party had not yet taken office, and hence any explanation of the events should be claimed from the acting government at that time.