The delegate of the Government in Asturias, Delia Losa, has intervened in the inauguration of a day organized by the Institute for the Fair Transition in Cangas del Narcea to present the lines of support aid to companies in municipalities of fair transition. An activity included in the Open Administration Week, the initiative of the Government to open the General Administration of the State to the population.
In her speech, Losa highlighted the importance that the Government of Spain attaches to the areas affected by the closure of coal mining and thermal power plants, and gave as an example the creation of the Institute for the Just Transition, under the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. “It has the difficult task of offering opportunities in territories where mining was everything,” said the government delegate.
In this regard, Losa has sent a message of support and optimism to the areas of just transition. “The Government of Spain has made a very important deployment of funds in Asturias” which, according to him, totals more than 550 million euros since 2019, “and if we focus on the southwestern Asturias are 24 projects already executed or committed with a state support of 82.5 million euros”.
In the breakdown of the figure, the delegate of the Government has indicated that the Central Executive unblocked at the end of 2021 the 59 projects of the mining plan of the period 2013-2018 that add more than 92 million euros of which the Government of Spain contributes 75%.
Within the coal mining plan for the period 2019-2027, “emblematic” projects are already underway, such as the environmental restorations of the mines of Tormaleo, in Ibias, Cerredo, in Degaña, and Buseiro, in Tineo, which add a total investment of almost 84 million euros, of which the Government of Spain contributes 74 million euros.
In addition, the European Commission recently approved Spain’s Just Transition Programme, which includes the Just Transition Territorial Plan. Spain corresponds to 868.74 million euros, of which 262.85 million are for Asturias, 30.26% of the total. “They are undoubtedly funds that represent a great opportunity for development,” said Losa.
The Government delegate in Asturias recalled that recently the Institute for the Just Transition provisionally approved the provisional resolution of grants for projects in environmental, social and digital infrastructures. EUR 17.6 billion has been distributed for 19 projects in 12 Asturias councils: “Many were left out of aid, and that’s why the government is already working on a new call.”
Among the measures to support the areas of fair transition, Losa has cited the aid for the protection of workers and the formation of surpluses from coal mining, which represents a state disbursement of more than 75 million euros in aid in the framework 2019-2027.
And he mentioned that the IDAE, the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving, also attached to the Ministry for Ecological Transition, has aid programs where membership in municipalities of fair transition is prioritized. For example, between final and provisional resolutions more than 45 million euros have been granted in aid to projects such as those developing green hydrogen in Aboño and Soto de Ribera.
“I believe that we arrive in time for a fair transition based on employment, and I believe that the commitment of the Central Executive is beyond doubt,” Losa concluded.
Visit to Cangas del Narcea
The delegate of the Government took advantage of the visit to Cangas del Narcea to visit with the mayor, José Víctor Rodríguez, one of the businesses participating in the project ‘Cangas, natural trade’, which has 72,000 euros of funding from the Ministry of Industry.
And together they went to the Cadario Hotel-Bar in Tebengo, which has received Leader funds, 200,000 euros from European funds that have contributed to a century-old property now being a hotel establishment.