Government extends limitations on flights from United Kingdom, Brazil and Republic of South Africa until 2 March

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers approved the extension to the restrictions on direct flights and passenger vessels between the United Kingdom (UK) and Spanish ports, except flights or vessels occupied by Spanish or Andorran citizens and residents in the two countries.

The limitation is extended from 6 pm on 16 February until 6 pm on 2 March and responds to the government's decision to halt the spread of the British variant of COVID-19.

The Minister for Health, Carolina Darias, also announced the extension, until the same date, of flights from Brazil and the Republic of South Africa, where new variants of the virus have also been detected. Passengers on these flights, as well as requiring a negative PCR test in the 72 hours prior to the flight, will be required to take a rapid antigen test at the airport to strengthen controls.

Evolution of pandemic

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe minister reported that there is a downward trend in infections thanks to the restrictive measures taken by the regional authorities, expressing the government's recognition of their efforts to fight the virus. "Co-governance and this strategy together represent the smartest and boldest commitment we can take as a country against this pandemic", she said.

Carolina Darias specified that the cumulative rate over the last 14 days stands at 667 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, dropping by 232 points on the figure for 27 January, when it hit a high of 899 cases.

The government's concern is that at the end of this week the peak in the number of people affected by the virus in Intensive Care Units will be reached, which in some regions is already over 50%. Accordingly, the minister called for prudence and a culture of prevention.

Carolina Darias underlined that Spain has a very high capacity for detecting cases and that, since the start of the pandemic, more than 29.9 million diagnostic tests have been performed.

Vaccination targets

The minister highlighted that Spain stands above the European Union average in the administration of vaccines, which helps spur us on towards the goal of having "more people vaccinated than infected".

In this regard, she specified that the government has delivered 2,218,755 units of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to the regional governments, of which 2,105,033 have now been administered. Furthermore, almost 800,000 people have now received the second dose.

Carolina Darias also recalled that on Saturday Spain received 196,800 doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine, and that the company has committed to supplying 1.8 million units over the course of February.

The government's aim, as set out in the State Vaccination Strategy, is for 80% of the elderly to be vaccinated by the end of March, and for 70% of the population to be vaccinated before the end of the summer, added the minister.

Energy Storage Strategy

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe government approved the Energy Storage Strategy as part of the development of and compliance with the targets set in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and the Long-term Decarbonisation Strategy.

Storage systems allow instant gaps between the generation and demand for energy to be tackled, since they accumulate energy from such time as there is an excess to ensure availability when there are deficits. The Strategy sets the target for some 20 gigawatts of storage to be available by the year 2030 and 30 gigawatts by 2050.

The Minister for the Treasury and Government Spokesperson, María Jesús Montero, explained that storage is key in the transition process towards a carbon neutral economy, better management of electricity networks and the stabilisation of electricity prices in the medium term.

She also remarked that boosting this area will generate significant opportunities for the economic recovery, the just transition, the development of new business models, R&D+i and national industry, as well as for job creation, particularly among young people.

Personal data protection

The government agreed to submit to Parliament the draft Constitutional Law regulating the protection of personal data used in the work to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute criminal offences, as well as in the protection and prevention of threats to public security.

The government has requested its fast-track passage through Parliament, since the new legislation transposes a European Directive that has been pending adaption to the Spanish framework since 2016.

María Jesús Montero claimed that the project combines the need to strengthen international cooperation with the guarantee to protect and defend citizens' rights, particularly the right to privacy recognised in the Spanish Constitution. It also includes a specific disciplinary regime for those who breach its rules, with sanctions ranging from 6,000 to 240,000 euros.

Measures against late payments to hauliers

The Council of Ministers approved the draft law amending the Land Transport Organisation Act (Spanish acronym: LOTT) to establish a disciplinary regime for cases of late payment to hauliers.

This sector is primarily made up of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Spain, and breaching deadlines for payment affects their liquidity, and consequently their profitability and competitiveness, stated María Jesús Montero, who highlighted their essential function in the sustainability of the economy.

The draft legislation introduces a new type of offence comprising the breach of the maximum legal term for payment of 60 days in goods transport contracts by road, and also, for deterrent purposes, disciplinary resolutions are due to be published.

The reform of the Land Transport Organisation Act is the realisation of the commitment taken on by the Goods Department of the National Hauliers Committee, the representative body of the sector and through dialogue with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.

Self-regulation in olive oil sector

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe government approved a Royal Decree allowing self-regulation in the olive oil sector.

The ultimate aim is the recovery of prices received by farmers in crisis situations, such as over the last two seasons. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food may determine, in situations of a risk of a market imbalance, a temporary withdrawal of the product on a mandatory basis for all operators until the next season, and even determine its use for non-food purposes.

The Government Spokesperson stressed the importance of this measure, which has been strongly demanded by the important olive oil sector, with annual average production of 1.4 million tonnes and sales to more than 100 countries that amount to more than 2.8 billion euros.

More than 350,000 farmers are engaged in this activity, which generates another 32 million days of work and has more than 15,000 related jobs. "These figures allow us to fairly value how many people and families are affected", stressed María Jesús Montero.

Digital Education in Andalusia

The government agreed to put out to tender the acquisition of 175,000 computers with connectivity for vulnerable pupils in Andalusia that study at centres maintained with public funds, with the aim of guaranteeing that education can be developed from home or in person. The public enterprise Red.es will contribute 80 million euros through the ERDF funds and the Regional Government of Andalusia the rest. The deadline scheduled for the equipment to be available to pupils is in March,

These computers are on top of those already received by more than 435,000 students in Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and Leon, the Region of Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Navarre and the Basque Country, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, within the "Digital Education" programme of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

María Jesús Montero stressed that "one of the government's obsessions" during the pandemic has been to ensure that the technology gap does not exacerbate inequalities or the situations of families with difficulties.

Non official translation