The Board of Transfers Administration of the State-Foral Community of Navarre has agreed today to the transfer of the AP-68.

The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has chaired the meeting and the representation of the State Administration in the Transfer Board. The representation of the Foral Community has been headed by the first vice-president and counselor of Presidency and Equality, Félix Taberna.

Minister Torres said that "the unanimity reached by all the political formations represented on the Transfer Board is something unprecedented." At the same time, he thanked "everyone's support for this transfer" and showed his intention to "continue working with other pending transfers".

Navarre section of the AP-68 Motorway

In the agreement approved today by the Transfer Board Administration of the State–Foral Community of Navarre, the ownership of the sections of the AP-68 Bilbao–Zaragoza motorway that run through its territory, as well as the corresponding functions and services, until now exercised by the State Administration, are transferred. The transfer of the sections of the Motorway will respect the legal regime applicable to the concession affected.

Under the regime of an economic agreement between the State and the Autonomous Community of Navarre, the contribution by which Navarre contributes to the financing of the general charges of the State not assumed will be reduced by 44,471.51 euros.

Boosting Self-Governance

It should be remembered that, in addition to the transfer approved today, three other transfers were approved in 2021: prison health, management of the non-contributory benefit of the minimum vital income and in traffic and circulation of motor vehicles.

In order to make effective the transfer of functions and services in the field of traffic and circulation of motor vehicles to Navarre, due to legal imperative, it was necessary to reform Organic Law 13/1982, on Reintegration and Improvement of the Navarre Regional Regime (LORAFNA). The reform was initially promoted by the Government of Navarre and after the corresponding negotiations, the Governments of Navarre and Spain formulated, by common agreement, a proposal for the reform of LORAFNA, approved by the Parliament of Navarre and by the Cortes Generales.

The Government of Spain has carried out 40 transfers of competences since 2018 to the autonomous communities, 18 in the present legislature. The minister stressed that this government "believes in the state of autonomies."

The Transfer Board had not met for 20 years before the 2021 plenary session. It did not meet, specifically, since 2001.

This Government has promoted autonomous development, both with Navarre and with other autonomous communities where neither the joint transfer commissions nor the bilateral cooperation commissions had met for several legislatures.