The president of the Junta de Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, warned this Friday that he would defend the interests of the Community “everywhere and starting with the courts” regarding the distribution of tax revenues due to the weight of GDP . which seems to be able to consolidate”, in reference to the tax reform approved Thursday by the Government and its partners. “We will be very vigilant because this would mean the breakdown of territorial cohesion, equality and solidarity.”
After an hour of meeting with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, during which he once again mentioned the need for a multilateral negotiation on regional financing, Mañueco admitted having left the meeting “without specific commitments” on the battery of projects and proposals. who took Moncloa, although he hoped that they would come to fruition in the sectoral meetings that ministers will hold with advisors from January.
With a constructive and vindictive will, the President of the Council stressed that these are achievable, realistic, fair and essential projects for the interests of the Community. Among them, Fernández Mañueco highlighted the need for the government to definitively promote the Atlantic Corridor and connect the nine provinces of the Community. In this sense, he demanded that the Central Executive have the same investment commitment as the Mediterranean Corridor, since it is vital for the development of the entire northwest of Spain.
In this area, he recalled thatThe burying of the tracks in Valladolid, León and Palencia is still in progress; and more than fifteen state-level actions on highways and railroads.
The President of the Council also urged the Head of the Central Executive to undertake ongoing actions on digitalization and connectivity, with the aim of that 100% of the community territory is covered by broadband and 5G on an equal footing, both in urban and rural areas. A measure that would facilitate the competitiveness of businesses and self-employed people, as well as the settlement of the population.
In energy matters, he recalled that Castilla y León is a leader in the production of clean and renewable energy. For this reason, he demanded “as essential” the improvement of the electricity network infrastructure and that regulations in this area be relaxed so that energy is not only exported to more industrialized areas, but also distributed throughout the Community. and thus be able to satisfy business demand. In addition, he indicated that the regulation of large-scale industrial self-consumption is essential, since the current regulations are designed for small installations and do not allow responding to the plans and initiatives planned in the industrial zones of Castilla y León. “We are not going to let the energy we produce continue to escape us”he declared.
During the meeting, the head of the Autonomous Government stated that the current Hydrological Plan of the Duero does not meet the needs related to the development of irrigation, livestock and other activities and also requested to increase the regulation capacity in the Duero basin, as well as its storage capacity to take advantage of the water from the dam for supply and irrigation. In this case, Fernández Mañueco requested that all reservoir infrastructures are rationalized, while waiting for sanitation and water purification; as well as the cleaning of canals be carried out if necessary to avoid flooding during floods.
Utilities
Fernández Mañueco once again demanded that the Central Executive address the national problem of the lack of doctors, through an improvement of the MIR system; propose serious and effective measures, such as accelerating the accreditation of non-European doctors and extending the working age of professionals, among others.
In addition, in the area of public services, he also reiterated the need for a single EBAU for all of Spain and demanded from the State the necessary financing for the implementation of the new organic law of the university system.
Regarding housing, the President of the Council requested the transfer of SAREB housing to Castile and León; measures aimed at encouraging the construction of social housing by private developers; and others which provide legal certainty to owners and increase supply on the rental market. Likewise, in favor of the rural environment, he requested the withdrawal of the plan which provides for the elimination of bus stops in 346 municipalities of Castilla y León.
On the other hand, Fernández Mañueco addressed actions to support businesses and workers in the Community, such as the maximum application of aid authorized by Europe for companies in Soria, Cuenca and Teruelor up to 20% of labor costs; and propose formulas that benefit other areas experiencing population loss. Likewise, he demanded the reduced rate, tax exemptions and increases in social security contributions for self-employed workers.
Regarding one of the most important sectors for Castilla y León, such as the automotive sector, Sánchez proposed a meeting of the Automotive Council for the competitiveness of the sector and, in turn, guarantees a fair transition between decarbonization and job retention and activity.
During the meeting in La Moncloa he also affirmed greater government support for the countryside and farmers and recalled that aid for drought only reached half of those affected and that support for breeders for epizootic hemorrhagic disease was paid exclusively by the Office.
In addition, the President of the Office addressed the need to increase the irrigated areas in the Duero Hydrological Plan and to finalize the actions that the Government expects in this area to generate wealth in rural areas; and also the defense of a CAP which adapts to the real needs of farmers and breeders and facilitates the viability of agricultural operations.
Likewise, he urged the President of the Central Government to reconsider its position on the protection of wolvesof which the vast majority of European Union countries have already requested a reduction.
