The Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory has approved the ministerial order that initiates the direct granting of 1,745 million euros to the municipalities of the province of València, Letur (Albacete), Mira (Cuenca) and Alhaurín de la Torre (Málaga), to finance in full the works of repair, restitution or reconstruction of municipal infrastructures, facilities or facilities and services and of the road network of provincial ownership for the damages caused by DANA between 28 October and 4 November 2024.
The amount of aid reaches 1,745 million euros for the more than 370 interventions in municipal administrative centers, in cultural facilities, sports facilities, children's schools, social care centers, municipal markets, cemeteries, Local Police and Civil Protection centers, transport facilities or assistance centers. “And to them will be added the works in the road network that are necessary. In total we could be around 500 interventions”, he added.
Ángel Víctor Torres, head of the department responsible for distributing and coordinating direct grants to local entities for reconstruction, stressed that the order contemplates “unprecedented measures that are applied in record time to the greatest amount of resources mobilized for a reconstruction of our history.”
In his appearance on Monday in the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community, Torres recalled that, with the ministerial order published today in the BOE, the commitment made on January 23 by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, with the mayors of 78 affected municipalities is fulfilled.
The minister highlighted the effort made in his department, since “it took us only 11 days to get the machinery up and running. Six days if we count since it was approved in the Council of Ministers.”
News in the financing of works
Until now, the Government of Spain had regularly assumed 50% of the costs of repairing municipal infrastructures damaged by natural disasters. In the order of the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory for the subsidies by the DANA, the financing of 100% of the works is established, with the addition that all the costs will be delivered in advance to the local entities.
Also, for the first time, municipalities are allowed to sign an agreement with TRAGSA so that it is this public company that awards and executes the works. Another novelty of this order is that the infrastructures can be relocated and added in them technical improvements that increase their resilience against natural phenomena. Likewise, the ordinary deadlines in the different phases are extended, so that the municipalities have easier to complete them.
Creation of the Committee of Experts
The appearance of Minister Torres in the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community was held today after the constitution of the Committee of Experts, which is made up of 35 members.
The Committee has specialists in constitutional law, risk prevention, economic and industrial development; experts in the field of land management or rural and agri-food engineering; in the environment and climate emergencies, in geology, hydraulic infrastructures, equality, mental health, data analysis or artificial intelligence. It is also made up of representatives of six professional associations of the Valencian Community and civil society (social, business, trade union and Third Sector groups).
This Committee, in addition to advising on the decision-making for reconstruction, will collaborate in the drafting of a Strategy for reconstruction after DANA, which will establish the lines to be followed to achieve the social and economic reactivation of the area. On the other hand, the Committee will address long-term issues, with recommendations on how to deal with future crises.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; the Secretary of State for Territorial Policy, Arcadi Spain; the delegate of the Government, Pilar Bernabé; the 2nd Vice-President, Francisco José Gan Pampols; the Commissioner for Reconstruction, José María Ángel; and the President of the CSIC, Eloye del Pino.
(Attached document with professional reviews of those who make up the Committee of Expert Persons)
Aid distribution
The Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, in order to implement this measure, has requested a technical assessment of the estimated cost of the works. The amount of these valuations was the basis on which the amounts of the subsidies were determined.