The powers of Coastal Planning and Management and the Cinematography Protection Fund will be in the hands of Euskadi from Monday. The spokesperson of the Basque government and Minister of Self-Government, María Ubarretxena, has highlighted the improvements that the transfer will bring.
Two new powers will remain in the hands of the Basque government from this Monday, the powers for coastal planning and management and the Film Protection Fund, two of just over twenty transfers envisaged in the Statute. The Spokesperson of the Basque Government and Minister of Self-Government, María Ubarretxenaand the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, will finalize this transfer next Monday.
In one interview Ubarretxena, delivered this Sunday on Radio Euskadi, emphasized that the transfer of Coastal Planning and Management will above all mean that “decision-making power” for Euskadi. “Pure decision-making power” to be able to carry out, for example, tasks such as being able to carry out repair work for damage caused by storms in coastal areas without being dependent on Madrid or “to decide on important projects such as the bluefin tuna project that we have.” coast of Getaria” This transfer will also grant the Basque institutions in the field of environmental management, since, as the counselor explained, “we will have the power to extend protected areas also to the sea”, because we will be able to work also to the management and protection of marine fauna.
As far as competition in the audiovisual field is concerned, the transfer will, in the words of Ubarretxena, “give much more decision-making power over the content we have to produce in the Basque”, in addition to being responsible for collecting and distributing the contribution that “this house, EITB, for example, has to make”, and to be able to distribute these funds “according to our peculiarity and according to the Basque culture”.
The meeting of the Joint Transfer Commission at which these transfers will be signed will take place at 12 noon, but before that, at 10.30 am, there will be an earlier meeting of the subcommittee, to accelerate transfer negotiationswill focus on four transfers including, in addition to the transfer of Maritime Rescue, Meteorology and the Bizkaia Machinery Center, the transfer so that they can be provided from Euskadi work permits for foreigners.
Ubarretxena announced that the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Immigration will attend the meeting and try to “promote this transfer”, which is “a very important issue” for the executive. “We have been working on it all week, apart from other measures that we have to tackle the problem migration, because what we want is for these people to integrate into the area, and to do that we want to provide a structural response, in a serious and comprehensive way, and these permits are one more element in this comprehensive framework to address the entire migration management .”
Ubarretxena assured that there is a commitment to transfer the four topics, but stressed that “transfers are not easy because you have to negotiate a lot, agree on periods, commas and words.” He stressed that the negotiating teams must take on a very important task, “also a legal task, so that the texts are very well linked.”
He also indicated that the commitment to complete the transfer of the remaining powers in 2025 is clear and that the calendar is on the table. However, he appeals to discretion, “a fundamental part of these negotiations,” and has avoided delving deeper into the issue.
Proposal on migration
Ubarretxena, who was able to witness the meeting between regional presidents of Santander to work on the issue of the distribution of minor migrants among the autonomous communities, recalled that Lehendakari Imanol Pradales highlighted the “lack of previous kitchen work”, work that “Euskadi was carried out with the President of the Canary Islands and his team and that was reflected in a very specific proposal that we put on the table.”
Ubarretxena has admitted that he has “a glimmer of hope” that this proposal can move forward “as there were communities that were positive about it, communities moreover in which different political parties rule,” he emphasized.
“Let’s hope there is an agreement as it is a possible proposal that would allow steps to be taken without the need for a change to Article 35 of the Immigration Act, and it would be a major step on this issue.”
Waiting for documentation
At the meeting of presidents in Santander, Sánchez announced an upcoming meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) in January to discuss the debt cancellation agreed upon by the PSOE and the ERC. Regarding this issue, Ubarretxena confirms that they do not have more information and are waiting for the documentation, to be able to see how this could affect the financing of Euskadi within the framework of the Economic Agreement. “Until we have the documentation, we cannot advance our assessment or request in this regard.”
Multiple budgets
The spokesperson for the Basque government considers it ‘good news’ that Euskadi ‘will receive multiple budgets to meet the needs and challenges that Euskadi has on the table’.
He emphasized that the government wanted to get out of the ‘haggle and bazaar’ negotiations for a ‘more political, longer and more focused on the interests of Euskadi’. The exercise of listening to the rest of the political parties has made ‘the budget has become richer’.
“Euskadi is plural and will have multiple budgets,” he concluded.
Source: EITB
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
