The Government of Spain has opened 44 new offices to help those affected by the DANA, bringing the total to 62

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, chairs the meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has chaired a new meeting of the Crisis Committee at Moncloa Palace to monitor the effects of the DANA. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, appeared at a press conference afterwards to detail the progress made in the measures for those affected, especially in the agricultural sector.

Planas announced that in the week beginning Monday 18 November, the Government will set up 44 new offices to help all those affected, which together with the 16 already in existence will bring the total to 60 in the Valencia region, in addition to the two opened in Castilla-La Mancha. Planas stressed that the Government is deploying an important social shield to help first and foremost those who have lost their homes and belongings, but also to support the recovery of the productive fabric to guarantee its rapid recovery and operation.

The minister stressed that the Government is working to speed up the necessary procedures so that the aid to farmers and livestock farmers affected by the DANA gets to them as soon as possible, and so that the damaged farms and agricultural infrastructures can be restored to normality. For aid to be effective, it must be as quick as possible, he said.

Planas reiterated that the Government's ultimate aim is that not a single hectare of production is lost in the Valencia region. The Council of Ministers on Monday 11 November approved a €444.5-million package of specific aid for the primary sector.

The minister detailed the progress made since then to speed up the implementation of the measures. The contract with Agroseguro has been declared an emergency, which means that work will begin immediately, with 140 experts deployed throughout the affected areas in 112 municipalities. Farms that have suffered losses of at least 40% of their production will receive direct aid.

The Government has earmarked a budget of €200 million for this line. The beneficiary farmers and stockbreeders will not have to go through any formalities. The aid to which they are entitled will be paid directly to them once the farms have been assessed by the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA).

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, appears after the meeting of the Crisis Committee to monitor the effects of the DANA | Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

Cleaning and repair of agricultural roads and infrastructures

The contract with the public company Tragsa is also being processed as an emergency measure so that in December it can begin the work of cleaning and repairing damaged roads and farm infrastructures (clearing debris, replacing arable land, repairing irrigation ditches and channels, fencing and other elements), with a budget of €170 million. The support for recovery is complemented by another line of aid of €10 million for the replacement of agricultural machinery.

The minister highlighted the work carried out by the public company Mercasa, and specifically by Mercavalencia and Mercalicante to ensure the supply of food to the population affected by the DANA. The Government has earmarked €4.5 million for this purpose. Specific aid for the agricultural sector is complemented by a line of support for access to finance through the subsidising of principal and guarantees, with a budget of €60 million.

Appearance of the President of the Government in the Lower House of Parliament

Minister Planas also explained that on Monday, 18 November, the Government will register a request for the president, Pedro Sánchez, to appear before the plenary session of the Lower House of Parliament, at his own request, to report on the Government of Spain's management of the effects of the DANA. Given that the president is travelling to Brazil to attend the G-20 meetings, it is expected that the Lower House's Board of Speakers will include his appearance on the agenda of the plenary session on 27 November.

To date, the Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has already appeared in the Lower House on this issue, and the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, in the Upper House. Likewise, on Wednesday 20 November, the Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, will appear in the Lower House.

Non official translation