The Council of Ministers declared on Tuesday areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency the territories of a total of 13 autonomous communities, among which is Castilla-La Mancha, which have suffered forest fires, floods and other disasters of different nature between 20 August 2022 and 8 June.
These areas affected by a civil protection emergency are the territories affected as a result of eighty episodes - among forest fires, storms, snowfall, torrential rains and others - registered in the autonomous communities of Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Canary Islands, Castilla y León, Valencian Community, Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Region of Murcia, Foral de Navarra and Basque Country, as well as in the city of Ceuta.
In the case of Castilla-La Mancha, the five areas declared to be seriously affected have been forest fires registered in the municipalities of Ayna, Riópar and Alatoz in Alicante, and in the municipalities of Valverde de los Arroyos and Ocentejo.
The declaration approved by the Government opens the way for those affected by these emergencies to claim from the General Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior the aid provided for in the Law on the National Civil Protection System.
The Ministry of the Interior’s competition grants include:
• for personal injury: death or for absolute and permanent incapacity: 18,000 euros.
• to individuals for destruction or damage to basic necessities: the cost, with a limit of 2,580 euros.
• for total destruction of the habitual dwelling: the cost of damages, with a maximum of 15,120 euros.
• for damage to the structure of the habitual dwelling: 50 percent of the damage, with a maximum of 10,320 euros.
• for other damages in the usual housing: 50 percent of the damages, with a maximum of 5,160 euros.
• for damages to common elements of a community of owners: 50 percent of the damages, with a maximum of 9,224 euros.
• to natural or legal persons who have carried out personal and property benefits: the total amount of the expenses.
• to the owners of industrial, commercial and service establishments, including agricultural, sea-fishing and tourist establishments: up to 9,224 euros.
• to local corporations for expenses arising from unpostponable actions: between 50 and 100 percent, depending on the case.
Given the extent of the number of accidents and the differences between them, it is not yet possible to assess the damage caused and the cost of the aid that is approved. The first estimate is about EUR 12 million in the total value of the aid that corresponds to the Ministry of the Interior.
OTHER AIDS
In addition, other ministerial departments will study the application of different indirect aid to those affected by these emergencies, such as:
• Tax benefits (Ministry of Finance and Public Service) such as exemption in the Real Property Tax fee and reduction in the Economic Activities Tax fee.
• Labour and Social Security measures (Ministries of Labour and Social Economy, and of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration) as bonuses and exemptions from Social Security quotas.
• Grants to local corporations (Ministry of Territorial Policy) for up to 50 percent of the projects they carry out to repair municipal infrastructure, facilities and equipment.
• Other ministries, within the scope of their competences, may declare a special area of action, as well as the emergency of the works to repair the damage caused in infrastructures of public ownership or in