The Council of Ministers will approve this Tuesday, a week after the impact of the devastating disaster DANA that hit Spain, the declaration of an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, what was previously called “catastrophic zone‘. The Executive will also approve a decree with urgent measures for those affected by the storm, in which several ministries participated.
A decree, according to government sources, declared to laSexta, very similar to that which was approved at the time for the island of La Palma after the volcanic eruption, which includes tax measures such as postponement of the second payment of personal income tax And direct help for loss of housing or to deal with damage.
Likewise, it also includes work measures. In this sense, the Temporary Work Regulation Files refer (ERTÉ) to protect employment. A “social and economic shield” to mitigate the effects of DANA, according to Moncloa.
On the other hand, according to the Efe agency, it is expected that the Council of Ministers will also approve a interministerial commission which will work to urgently and quickly promote the reconstruction and economic recovery of the affected areas, as announced last Saturday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, after chairing the crisis committee.
What does it mean to declare a disaster area?
THE disaster zone declaration It is regulated by the National Civil Protection System Law, approved in 2015, and its objective is to strengthen the mechanisms that strengthen and improve the functioning of the national system of citizen protection in times of emergency and disaster. This declaration may be requested by the public administrations concerned and in these cases and prior to its declaration, the Government may request a report from the autonomous community(ies) concerned.
Declaring a catastrophic zone allows, among other measures, fiscal and economic assistance as well as for damage caused to habitual residence and basic necessities; compensation to local businesses for expenses arising from actions which cannot be postponed or from aid to industrial, commercial and service establishments. It also includes grants for infrastructure damage municipal, provincial and island road network and assistance for damage to agricultural, livestock, forestry and marine aquaculture production, among others.
DANA, which affected the Valencian Community with particular virulence, has so far left 217 dead in all affected areas – also in Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia, many people missing as well as countless damages to homes, communication routes and thousands of homes without electricity.
