- The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan has injected almost 2.8 billion euros into the Basque economy with 31,000 beneficiaries
- Marisol Garmendia, Government delegate: “The Government is improving railway infrastructures and helping to electrify public transport in Basque cities”
The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan launched by the Government of Spain to modernise and reactivate the economy has already allocated 2,791 million euros to the Basque Country, of which 1,636 million are executed by the AGE and 1,155 million are managed directly by the Basque institutions after the allocations agreed at sectoral conferences.
An ambitious and effective plan that is obtaining excellent results after the crisis generated by Covid and that has placed Spain at the head of Europe in practically all economic indicators. The Basque Country is one of the main beneficiaries of this distribution of funds aimed at modernising its industry and infrastructure. Government delegate in the Basque Country, Marisol Garmendia, highlights that, in addition to grants and loans for large projects and companies, “practically half of the funds are directed to small and medium-sized enterprises, municipalities and individuals in order to create a capillary network that allows the progress and advancement of the economy in society as a whole. In fact, so far there are 31,021 beneficiaries in the Basque Country of this Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan”.
Sustainable transport and electromobility are one of the most important aspects to which reference should be made after the end of 2024. The 848.4 million euros allocated to these sectors represent a significant advance for the well-being of people and the competitiveness of companies while having a positive impact on the sustainability of the planet and the fight against climate change, other main objectives of the government presided over by Pedro Sánchez.
Marisol Garmendia expresses her satisfaction with these numbers that benefit the Basque economy so much. “The Spanish Government’s commitment to sustainable public transport and electromobility is clear in the Basque Country. Transport is one of the main sources of the generation of polluting gases in our cities. Therefore, the NEXT funds in the Basque Country are contributing substantially to improving railway infrastructures, electrifying public service buses and helping the important Basque industry linked to the automotive sector to adapt to the challenges of the electric vehicle, as a guarantee of its competitiveness. In short, betting on the adaptation of our automotive companies to the electrification market and sustainable public transport, which improves the air quality of our territories and therefore, the health and quality of life of the Basque citizens.”
In fact, the General Administration of the State has so far allocated 477.7 million euros to improve rail and sustainable transport in cities. Among other projects, the 110.7 million invested in the high-speed line Burgos, Vitoria-Bilbao and San Sebastián stand out, the 49.5 million for standard width on the route from Astigarraga and Irun, the 29 million for the integration of Vitoria in the high-speed line, the 30 million in the logistics platform of Júndiz and its connection to the corridor, the 10 million in the station of Orduña or the 61 million for the new station of Irun.
In terms of sustainability, the Port of Bilbao has received 13 million euros to electrify its docks, implement a sanitation system and contribute to its decarbonization. In the three Basque capitals, 81 million have been invested for the electrification of their bus fleets and the implementation of low-emission areas and 59.7 million have been allocated to the Autonomous Community to manage other sustainable and digital mobility projects such as the 18.3 M€ for the Donostialdea Metro, the 15.7 M€ for the urban integration of the railway infrastructure in Eibar or the 5 M€ for the Vitoria tram.
The Basque participation in the PERTE VEC (Electric and Connected Vehicle) amounts to 370.7 million euros. As Marisol Garmendia explains, “the gradual electrification of the car park contributes to reduce pollution rates and thus improve the health of citizens and the planet. The sustainability of our companies depends on the fight against climate change.”
In the first call, €72.1 million was allocated to Basque companies that lead tractor projects and in the second call, 12 projects were valued with 132 million euros of subsidy and 36.7 million in loans. For its part, the Autonomous Community manages within the PERTE ERHA 78.2 million euros to support the purchase of electric vehicles and the deployment of charging points.
Social commitment
The action of the Government of Spain in the Basque Country is not limited to the injection of funds to revitalize and modernize its industry and infrastructure. The social indicators are a good reflection of the positive impact on the Basque population of the measures taken by the Executive presided over by Pedro Sánchez.
The figures reveal that the average pension in the Basque Country reaches 1,770 euros per month, that is, an increase of 405 euros with respect to the pensions in force in 2018 just before the arrival of the socialist government. An advance that is also evidenced in the data of affiliation to Social Security. At the moment, the Basque Country has 1,022,898 people employed, 63,161 more than in 2018. Likewise, 186,492 indefinite contracts have been signed, 122% more.
The government does not neglect the most vulnerable people, on the contrary. A total of 69,668 Basques are beneficiaries of the Minimum Vital Income, 61,000 workers have seen their benefits raised by the Minimum Wage and 63,310 people receive the Social Electric Bonus.