Council of Ministers

Government approves direct aid to repair damage caused by January's earthquake in Melilla

2016.5.6

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Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The three Royal Decrees, approved on Friday by the Council of Ministers, govern the direct aid to be allocated to the city of Melilla "with the aim of repairing the damage caused by the earthquake which registered 6.3 on the Richter Scale in the Alboran Sea on 25 January".

According to the acting Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the earthquake, one of "the strongest in recent years in Spain", caused serious material damage, above all to the buildings located in the historic-artistic quarter of the city.

The extent of the damage caused is such that this has required, in compliance with the constitutional principle of solidarity, a "coordinated" response from the public authorities in order to "re-establish normality in the region", stressed the Government Spokesperson.

Three types of aid

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría pointed out that the three Royal Decrees provide for direct aid from the Ministries of the Treasury and Public Administration Services, of Home Affairs and of Public Works and cater for three types of needs.

Soraya Sáenz de SantamaríaPool Moncloa/JM.CuadradoThe first of these, she specified, allocates 700,000 euros to "emergency expenses" incurred by the City Government of Melilla in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. She explained that these were "essential actions that could not be delayed in order to guarantee the lives and safety of people and the operation of essential public services, including those deriving from the clean-up of access roads and public thoroughfares, the carting away of debris and to underpin or demolish buildings".

Secondly, aid is provided to "repair the damage to homes and to let properties for those affected, as well as the replacement of goods". More than 2 million euros has been allocated to the "re-fitting, repair and re-building of homes affected by the earthquake, and another 400,000 euros for lettings "in the case of the total destruction of the primary dwelling and its demolition".

A third raft of aid, for a maximum sum of 1.55 million euros, caters for the damage caused to "infrastructures, equipment, installations and services owned by the city of Melilla".

Annual Report on Foreign Action Strategy

The Council of Ministers received the annual report on the application of the Foreign Action Strategy, which the Vice-President of the Government framed within the goal of "achieving an effective and coherent foreign policy that allows for greater democratic and citizen control".

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, pointed out that the report contains three basic goals: "to attend to the disorder, to improve monitoring mechanisms and to project Spain's image abroad".

José Manuel García-MargalloPool Moncloa/JM.CuadradoAs regards the first goal, José Manuel García-Margallo highlighted approval during the course of this term of office of laws on Foreign Action, on Treaties and on Immunities, as well as the Regulation on the Diplomatic Career, "which had not been amended or updated since 1977". Furthermore, a strategy has been drawn up with the pillars for overseas action: to place the citizen at the centre of this policy - for example, through digital tools - to project the image of Spain as an advanced country, to promote Spanish values and interests and to offer greater coherency and transparency in foreign action.

As regards the projection of Spain's image, José Manuel García-Margallo highlighted three actions carried out by the United Nations Security Council: the resolution on Women, Peace and Security, the opening-up of the Security Council to victims of terrorism and the convening of talks on the Middle East Peace Process. He also mentioned the boost to the International Criminal Court and Spain's contribution to the sustainable development goals, gender equality and the fight against climate change.

More Europe and international cooperation

In his opinion, Spain has been an "active partner" in the European Union, where it has held a "very clear position: more Europe". In relation to Ibero-America, he underlined the modernisation of the Ibero-American Summits. And in terms of Sub-Saharan Africa, he asserted that the policies on peace-keeping, development cooperation and political collaboration with local authorities have led to "noteworthy successes in the fight against illegal immigration".

The report also contains the aspects that should be stepped up: increased collaboration between public and private entities and between the different public authorities that take part in foreign action; the adaptation of the foreign service to the needs of the 21st Century, and increased international cooperation to the extent that budgetary resources so permit. "The President of the Government made a commitment to the United Nations to step this up to a level of 0.7% of GDP. This is an ambitious goal, but also a realistic target and, above all, a necessary target", he stressed.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs also presented the Council of Ministers with a report on the Marca España, with variable objectives to improve "the self-esteem of the Spanish people", and the projection of Spain overseas. José Manuel García-Margallo pointed out that since the year 2012, "we have made significant progress in the matter of our internal image, our internal perception, and our foreign image in practically all of the variables subject to scientific evaluation".

Madrid-Extremadura high-speed railway line

Council of Ministers 6/5/2016Pool Moncloa/JM. CuadradoThe Council of Ministers authorised the Ministry of Public Works to put out to tender, through the entity ADIF Alta Velocidad, the execution works for the track bed construction projects on the connecting lines to Plasencia and Plasencia Station for the Madrid-Extremadura High-Speed Railway Line. The tender amounts to 33.3 million euros and has a deadline for execution of 15 months.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría pointed out that these works will enable "the high-speed line to be connected with the conventional width line from Monfragüe to Plasencia that is currently in service", and hence will enable "its use with mixed traffic".

Accession of Montenegro to NATO

The government also authorised an agreement to proceed to the signing of the Protocol of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the accession of Montenegro. The text approved on Friday will be submitted to the Council of State for analysis. The signing of this Protocol is scheduled to be carried out within the framework of the upcoming meeting of foreign affairs ministers of NATO in Brussels on 19 and 20 May.

According to the Vice-President of the Government, the accession process began back in 2008, when Montenegro presented its formal application. Following the completion by the country of its reform process geared towards meeting the conditions required to join NATO, the foreign affairs ministers of NATO, which met on 2 December 2015, "adopted a unanimous decision to invite Montenegro to table talks to join the organisation", talks which have now been "satisfactorily" concluded.

Finally, approval was given to three Royal Decrees on the sale and use of telecommunications equipment, electrical material and electromagnetic compatibility material, the main objective of which is "to avoid interference in its operation".

Current affairs

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, José Manuel García-MargalloPool Moncloa/JM.CuadradoWhen asked about the government's assessment of the meetings being held by the political parties to reduce their costs in the upcoming electoral campaign, the Vice-President of the Government expressed her interest in work continuing to be done to this end and invited the political parties "to reach an agreement". She also pointed out that it falls to the government, in compliance with the law, to guarantee "neutrality" in election processes, "to respect the decisions of the political parties" and to defray the "costs of the elections".

As regards the government's assessment of the 11th Legislature, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría stated that, during its short duration, the cabinet "has continued to work to the benefit of the country". In this regard, she mentioned that "it was positive" to have previously approved the General State Budget Act, which has allowed the "country to continue operating".

As regards the deadlines for the formation of a government after the elections on 26 June, the Government Spokesperson asserted that the goal is for a stable government to be formed soon. "We must work hard to ensure this". And she added that she appreciates that this is a goal shared with the rest of the political parties.