The Council of Ministers approved at its meeting on Tuesday the declaration of 176 territories of fourteen autonomous communities as areas seriously affected by civil protection emergencies of all kinds, which allows those affected by these episodes to claim the aid provided for in Law 17/2015, of July 9, of the National Civil Protection System.
These 176 emergencies occurred between February 27 and September 14 and affected different areas and regions of the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Aragon, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Community of Madrid, Autonomous Community of Navarre, Comunitat Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, La Rioja and Region of Murcia.
Among these episodes stands out the isolated depression in high levels (DANA) that caused heavy rains and storms in mid-August in Illes Balears, origin of floods, road conditions, evacuations and delays in railway services. The situation was so serious that an operational situation 2 was activated and the intervention of the Military Emergency Unit was necessary.
Also relevant are the consequences of the heavy rainfall, winds and adverse coastal phenomena that occurred in the last days of February as a result of a storm that particularly affected Burgos, Illes Balears, Navarra, La Rioja and Zaragoza, with rainfall that caused flooding in areas close to rivers, landslides and road cuts.
With regard to the forest fires, between 27 February and 14 September there were many registered fires, which affected a large part of the national territory with consequences of various considerations, including evacuations, service cuts and population confinements.
The royal decree approved on Tuesday by the Government also includes several events associated with the transport of dangerous goods by spills caused by accidents, as well as four fires that affected industrial facilities; three episodes of maritime pollution by spills in the port of Las Palmas (Canary Islands) and Playa del Saler (Valencia); a fire that affected a horticultural company in Tomiño (Pontevedra), which forced to activate an emergency protocol for chemical risk, and a high temperature alert, in the Community of Madrid.
These 176 civil protection emergencies have caused personal damage and damage of varying consideration to infrastructures, public and private property and public services, which justifies the intervention of the General Administration of the State, which is based on the principle of interterritorial solidarity and which is always subsidiary, complementing the actions that, in the exercise of their competences, are the responsibility of the autonomous communities.
Support from the Ministry of the Interior
Of the aid provided by law for this type of situation, regulated in the Royal Decree 307/2005, of 18 March, the following are within the competence of the Ministry of the Interior:
- 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 the damage, 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.
- the royal decree also provides for the possibility of approving an exemption from the fees of the Autonomous Agency Central Traffic Headquarters for the duplication of circulation or driving licences and for the dismissal of damaged vehicles, as well as for the issuance of the ID card.
The law allows other ministries to adopt different measures to alleviate the consequences of these adverse events, such as exemption from the Real Property Tax quota and reduction in the Economic Activities Tax quota; labor measures and bonuses and exemptions from Social Security quotas; aid to local corporations, as well as works carried out as an emergency to repair the damage caused to public infrastructure.
Emergencies
The emergencies in Rioja reported at the time to the National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Centre (CENEM) of the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Interior are the following:
- 28/02/2024. Activation Plan. Floods
- 02/08/2024. Logroño recycling plant. Industrial fire
- 02/09/2024. Adverse meteorological phenomena