Government approves permanent deployment of US crisis response military force at Morón Air Base

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers agreed to submit to Parliament, for its passage under the fast-track procedure, the Third Protocol to Amend the Defence Cooperation Agreement between Spain and the United States, to allow the permanent deployment of a military force at the air base in Morón de la Frontera (Seville). The government authorised the signing of the document on 29 May and it was signed on 17 June in Washington by the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Spain, Ignacio Ybáñez, and the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, Anthony Blinken.

According to the Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the protocol represents "significant progress in stepping up relations between the two countries on defence issues".

The measure seeks to contribute to mutual stability and security in Europe, Africa and the Near East. The main aim of the military force will be to protect the citizens and facilities of the United States and Spain, as well as of other members of NATO, support for bilateral joint training and cooperation to enhance regional security.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría recalled that the agreement will be accompanied by intense dialogue between the two countries on the issue of investments at the air base.

Investment in Murcia and the Balearic Islands

Pool MoncloaUnder the heading of investments, the Vice-President of the Government highlighted the agreements adopted by the government. Firstly, the contract to support the regeneration and environmental adaptation project for the Bay of Portmán, in La Unión (Murcia), contaminated until 1992 by discharges from mines. The works, for a sum of 59.5 million euros, will be executed between now and 2019 and will enable "a new beach line to be regenerated that had disappeared", pointed out Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría.

Secondly, the Council of Ministers authorised the project and execution of a new Waste Water Treatment Plant in Ibiza. The Vice-President of the Government underlined the importance of this initiative for the population in the area and for developing tourism. The infrastructure, which will cost 41.2 million euros, seeks to resolve the existing problems of the current plant due to the malfunctioning of the treatment system and its lack of capacity in the summer season.

Unity of registry system

The Council of Ministers agreed to raise a conflict of powers to the Regional Government of Catalonia due to a decree issued by the latter body that modifies the scope of the property, commercial and movable goods registries of Catalonia.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría explained that this text "raises issues on which the regional government has no regulatory powers pursuant to the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy". Moreover, she argued that the unity of the Spanish registry system is one of its "strengths" and provides "legal certainty" to the owners of all forms of goods.

New Under-Secretary of the Presidency

The Vice-President of the Government announced the resignation of the current Under-Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency, Jaime Pérez Renovales, whom she thanked for his "commitment" and "generosity" during the three and a half years of this legislature and for his involvement in such projects as the reform of the public administration services. He will be replaced in the post by Federico Ramos de Armas, the current State Secretary for the Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Affairs.

Current affairs

Pool MoncloaOn the occasion of the first anniversary of his proclamation as King, the Vice-President of the Government congratulated Felipe VI on his work, his intense activity and capacity to involve himself in the "stability and foreign projection" of Spain and highlighted that the monarch's collaboration with the government has been "extraordinary".

When asked about the government's position on the current situation in Greece, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría reiterated that all the countries in the Eurozone maintain the same criteria, whereby "EU legislation must be upheld". And she highlighted that while "everyone is prepared to help", the country must undertake reforms that "are primarily important for Greece".

The Vice-President of the Government announced that next Friday's Council of Ministers will approve the ceiling on expenditure of the General State Budget for 2016 and that, given that the measures adopted "are now producing effects and enabling Spain to enjoy economic growth", the government will prepare "a Budget that helps strengthen this recovery" in an endeavour to ensure that its effects "will reach as many sectors of society as possible".

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría stressed that the government will present the Budget because "what it is not going to do is repeat what we went through in 2011" when, "at a time of extraordinary economic difficulties"; it was not presented "due to political tactics".

As regards whether the break-up of the political party Convergencia i Unió [Convergence and Union] will result in a tougher pro-independence stance from the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, the Vice-President of the Government called for reflection and "governance for all people of Catalonia".

As regards the petition from the Spanish National High Court to the government to request the extradition of José Ignacio de Juana Chaos by the Venezuelan authorities, the Government Spokesperson stated that "the spirit behind this government's claim is to prosecute terrorists" and hence, "collaboration with the justice system is total and active" and it will promote actions, pursuant to international law, to achieve this extradition.