· The C.Valenciana receives more than 4.340 billion euros from European Funds
· Pilar Bernabé highlights that “the Valencian Community is being an example in the execution of Next Generation funds in Spain, just as Spain is being an example in Europe”
The Government of Spain has favored the development of more than 18,700 projects in the Valencian Community through direct actions of the General Administration of the State amounting to 1,274 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan that add to those grants that have been transferred through agreements and concessions to the Generalitat Valenciana In total, the Valencian Community has received from the Next Generatión-EU Funds 4,340 million euros.
The delegate of the Government in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, who today presented the balance sheet of the main actions of the Executive has indicated that these data express "the commitment of the Government with the C.Valenciana" through "an important injection of financing with the objective of strengthening the state of welfare, economic development, energy efficiency and infrastructures of this community". Likewise, Bernabé stressed that “the Valencian Community is being an example in the execution of Next Generation funds in Spain, just as Spain is being an example in Europe”
Water policies, ecological transition and environmental protection
Bernabé has stressed that the Government of Spain “will undertake water infrastructures with a value of €600M of financing of the Next Generation, and that, therefore, they will be a reality in 2026”. These actions will guarantee “the water forever,” said the delegate.
In the Valencian Community, more than 83.6 million euros have already been committed for modernization and irrigation sustainability actions. Likewise, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is already investing more than 35 million euros in actions for the regeneration of the beaches of El Saler-La Garrofera in Valencia and Les Deveses in Denia
Industry and SMEs
Thanks to the Electric Vehicle PERTE, the “C.Valenciana is positioning itself as a European and global reference hub in the electrification of mobility”, said Bernabé. By 2026, the Volkswagen Seat Group’s gigantic factory will be operational with more than 3,000 direct jobs and another more than 10,000 indirect jobs.
At the same time, the government “is working for the transformation of the energy model of the main sectors, such as the Azulejero”. Several projects worth around 20 million euros have been approved, such as the one led by BP with 15 million subsidy or the pioneering Renewable Hydrogen project led by Porcelanosa with 4 million euros subsidy. These projects “will allow the transition to decarbonized and more efficient production processes and improve the competitiveness of the sugar sector”, said Bernabé.
In addition, the delegate highlighted “the commitment of the Government of Spain to the SMEs of the Valencian Community”. Currently, only in programs specifically oriented to SMEs such as the Digital Kit Program and the CERSA Financial Guarantees Program, there are already more than 21,700 SMEs from the Valencian Community that have received support from the Recovery Plan.
Tourism
In the field of tourism, we must highlight the more than 52 million euros destined to 13 projects of sustainability of tourism in destination already in execution of the call for plans of sustainability of Tourism in Destinations of the year 2021 and the almost 60 million euros to finance 21 projects in the call of 2022. In addition, the delegate has highlighted the decision taken by the Government to install in Benidorm the Smart Tourist Destinations Platform and a series of services associated with it, which will materialize in 2023 in the National Tourism Intelligence Center.
Mobility and infrastructure
In the Valencian Community, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda is already implementing projects worth more than 288 million euros for the improvement of transport and mobility and the strengthening of the Mediterranean Corridor.
In addition, to strengthen sustainable mobility, more than 69 million euros have already been invested for the improvement of the quality and reliability of the Neighbourhoods service and 83 million euros have also been granted for the development of low-emission areas and sustainable mobility in 15 municipalities of the Valencian Community.
Education, training and health
With regard to the investments aimed at strengthening the education and university system, the Valencian Community has received more than 346 million euros, of which 63 million euros have been earmarked for the strengthening of VET, which have already created more than 28,000 new places.
In addition, the Generalitat Valenciana has received 66 million euros from the plan of investment in high-technology equipment in the National Health System to update and improve the provision of high-technology sanitary equipment such as scanners, TACs, dialysis equipment and other high-technology sanitary equipment in 22 hospitals in the Valencian Community.
Social Shield
According to the delegate, currently thanks to the increase in pensions approved by the Government of Pedro Sánchez, the more than 900,000 pensioners of the C.Valenciana receive an average pension of 1,253 euros/month, which means 240 euros more than in 2018.
For its part, the increase in the minimum wage has benefited about 193,000 workers in this community. In addition, the Labor Reform has favored that in the C.Valenciana at the end of January 2023, approximately 761,000 indefinite contracts have been accounted for, compared to 217,000 in January 2019, which represents an increase of 250%. As for Social Security membership, last February it closed with 2,049,315 employees, which is 234,341 more than in February 2018.
For its part, the Minimum Vital Income has benefited more than 189,000 people; the scholarships have been allocated to 102,336 scholarships and scholarships for a total amount close to 216 million euros; the social electric voucher has favored about 189,300 people and the transport voucher has benefited more than 282,500 users.