The Council of Ministers has approved two agreements authorizing the signing of the agreements of the General Administration of the State (AGE) with Ceuta and Melilla for the creation of Technical Offices of Projects, which will promote the implementation of the measures adopted by the Council of Ministers of October 18, 2022, which approved a Comprehensive Plan of Socioeconomic Development in each of the two cities.
The cities of Ceuta and Melilla have a particular geopolitical and socio-economic context and a self-government regime defined in their 1995 Statutes of Autonomy. These geographical and border particularities, together with the diversity of its population and the assistance and migratory pressure, require special attention for the two territories.
Comprehensive Socioeconomic Development Plans for Ceuta and Melilla
Since the AGE’s commitment to these cities, the Ministry of Territorial Policy promoted a strategy to encourage the creation of opportunities, economic transformation, modernization, digitalization and sustainability of these territories, thus strengthening social cohesion and reducing their economic differences with the rest of Spain.
As a result of this process, in which the two cities, the ministerial departments and the social and economic agents actively participated, the Council of Ministers approved on October 18 the Comprehensive Socio-Economic Development Plans of Ceuta and Melilla.
The plans envisage an investment of 354.6 million euros (Ceuta) and 356.77 million euros (Melilla) approximately, more than 711 million in total, with a time horizon of execution until 2026.
The objective of the Integral Plans is to order the action of the AGE within the scope of its competences in each of the cities to promote its structural transformation through a new economic model and policies of urban development, commercial, tourist and connectivity, and through the strengthening of public services.
The Plans are structured in three priority axes of action in which 80 measures are grouped, for each of them, aimed at investments and reforms and ensuring opportunities for economic growth and social cohesion.
Axis 1: brings together measures to promote a new economic model,
Axis 2: it is intended for infrastructures and housing.
Axis 3: it is aimed at strengthening public services. Within this axis, each of the Plans envisages creating a Technical Project Office in the City of Ceuta and a Technical Project Office in the City of Melilla.
There are numerous programmes aimed at SMEs and entrepreneurs, supported both by the General State Budget (PGE) and by European funds. Access to these funds requires a certain level of knowledge and management skills, which makes it advisable to create a technical information and project office to ensure maximum dissemination and information on funding possibilities and public support programmes, to act as a one-stop shop for information or to support the preparation of application proposals, among other aspects. This is therefore an essential need for an administration, like those of the two autonomous cities that, with few resources, will have to execute a significant volume of new projects.
Creation of Project Technical Offices
The agreements aim to create a Technical Project Office in each of the cities, with the aim of promoting the economic and social measures provided for in the Comprehensive Socio-Economic Development Plan and facilitating SMEs and entrepreneurs access to the funded programs.
Obligations of each of the parties: The Ministry of Territorial Policy will make available to each of the two cities the financial resources established in its budget for the creation of a Technical Project Office, for the total amount for the year 2023 of 625,000 euros. In 2023, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla will set up a Technical Project Office, obliging them to provide them with the necessary human and material resources, as well as to carry out all the procedures required for its operation.
The Technical Project Office will be responsible for:
Ensure maximum dissemination of public funding possibilities and support programmes aimed at SMEs and entrepreneurs, as well as the city itself as a potential recipient of aid.
Act as a one-stop shop for information and advice to SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Support the development of projects and application proposals.
Maintain a fluid dialogue with all the departments and dependent agencies that carry out the calls.
To support and advise on the implementation of the measures of the Comprehensive Socio-Economic Development Plan of the City of Ceuta and Melilla.
For the proper monitoring, surveillance, control and interpretation of the agreements, two joint monitoring committees are constituted, composed of the persons holding the Secretariat of State for Territorial Policy and the General Directorate for Regional and Local Cooperation, by the Ministry of Territorial Policy, together with the persons holding the Office of the President and Institutional Relations and the Office of the President and Institutional Relations, in the case of Ceuta, and the persons holding the Office of the Minister of Economy, Trade, Technological Innovation, Tourism and Development and the person holding the Office of the General Economy.