The Council of Ministers approves the draft industry law that will also prevent mass layoffs in the sector without prior notice to the administration
The Council of Ministers approved in the first round the draft new industry law, which the government wants to “shield” employment in a key sector from access to European funds and which in Spain accounts for 15.3% of GDP and 10.9% of the represents GDP. employment opportunities.
To achieve this, the government forces companies that receive government support in the form of grants or loans to continue their productive activity for at least five years. Three in the case of SMEs.
The standard – promised within the Recovery Plan to replace the current law, which dates from 1992 – will also force companies in the sector that want to make mass redundancies to report this to the tax authorities in advance. “This law is a commitment by the government that promotes an industrial policy aligned with digitization, environmental sustainability and the circular economy and improves the industrial autonomy of our country,” said industry minister Reyes Maroto at the subsequent press conference. to the Council of Ministers.
Within its scope, the standard will apply to manufacturing industries and “industrial activities aimed at obtaining, repairing, maintaining, transforming or reusing industrial products, packaging and packaging, the use of by-products and waste treatment”. It will also affect engineering, design, technological consultancy and technical assistance services, as well as digitization activities, use and management of information, its interoperability and protection, which are related to industrial activities.
Thus, for the first time, the law will regulate industrial projects of general interest, such as projects that meet at least two of these three conditions: that they generate a significant volume of investment and permanent employment, that they are projects within strategic sectors or that they are aligned with the industrial objectives of the EU and integrated into the financing mechanisms.
In the same way, the new regime of violations and sanctions is detailed, which are classified as very serious, serious and minor. The limitation period for the crimes provided for in this law is five years for very serious, three for serious and one for less serious, counting from their total execution.
Violations are punishable by fines of up to €60,000 if they are minor, up to €6 million if they are serious and up to €100 million if they are very serious.
Source: La Verdad
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