The Governing Council has approved 156.8 million euros for the development of its new model of school catering services with on-site kitchens

At its meeting today, the Governing Council approved the allocation of €156,822,519 for the provision of school catering services in public non-university educational establishments, covering both on-site and mixed catering models.

The investment will enable the school canteens network with on-site kitchens to be further expanded, reinforcing a model that is currently being rolled out across the public school system, serving thousands of pupils, and which the Basque Government will continue to promote in the coming years as a strategic pillar of the education system. This is an initiative that the Department of Education has been gradually rolling out over recent years and which will continue in the coming academic years as part of the 2030 Hezkuntza Eraiki Strategic Plan, integrating the school catering service as part of the educational model rather than merely as an additional service.

Between 2021 and 2026, the on-site catering model has grown significantly: the number of pupils using the service has risen from 25,331 to 30,097 (+4,766), and the number of schools with their own catering facilities has increased from 120 to 158 (+38). This growth has been particularly significant in the provinces of Araba and Gipuzkoa, reinforcing the balanced roll-out of the model across all regions.

From 2026 onwards, the roll-out will continue across the entire Basque Country with the addition of 30 new on-site kitchens and the introduction of 10 area kitchens, in order to provide services to those schools where it is not possible to have their own kitchen. Towns such as Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basauri and the Donostialdea area are some of the most notable examples of this transformation.

This initiative follows on from the authorisation approved last week for the meal delivery service and represents a further step in the transformation of the school catering model in the Basque Country, establishing it as a strategic public policy aimed at promoting the well-being of students, equity and access to adequate, healthy and high-quality food.

Two new vocational training qualifications linked to sustainable mobility and the food industry

Other items relating to the Department of Education approved by the Governing Council included two decrees setting out the curricula for new vocational training qualifications in the Basque Country, linked to strategic sectors such as safe and sustainable mobility and the food industry.

As spokesperson Maria Ubarretxena explained, “these new courses reinforce the commitment of the Basque Government to vocational training programmes aligned with the needs of the business sector and current social challenges, expanding the range of training programmes available and improving students’ employability prospects”.

63,703 families benefit the Thermal Social Bonus

The Governing Council has also approved the allocation of a total of €14,463,744 to the 63,703 families receiving the Thermal Social Bonus. The Thermal Social Bonus is a direct payment designed to help offset the costs incurred by vulnerable consumers for activities that require energy for heating, such as heating, domestic hot water or cooking, regardless of the energy source used. The Regional Minister for Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenges, Nerea Melgosa, has pointed out that “the Thermal Social Bonus is a one-off payment; there is no need to apply for it, and the Basque Government will send a letter to the eligible families”.

€36.25 million for the Emantzipa youth independence grant programme

Following on from the proposals from the Department of Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenges approved by the Governing Council, 36.25€ million will be allocated to the 2026 call for applications for youth independence grants under the Emantzipa Programme, broken down as follows: 13.9€ million in 2026, 15€ million in 2027 and 7.35€ million in 2028.

The benefit amounts to 300€ per month per recipient, for a maximum of 24 months, provided that the eligibility criteria continue to be met. The programme is open to young people with an annual income of more than 3,000€ and less than 30,000€, or up to €36,500 if they file a joint tax return with a spouse or civil partner. The new regulations approved last March also extend access to the programme to those aged between 23 and 29, thereby broadening its reach amongst young people.

The application period will open on the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, i.e. 12 May, and will remain open until 30 November 2026, unless the available funding is exhausted before. Applications may be submitted electronically or in person at the Zuzenean offices and at the locations specified in the administrative procedure regulations.

New Ikuspegi Chair in Migration and Coexistence

The Governing Council has given the go-ahead for the signing of a partnership agreement between the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country (EHU) to establish the Ikuspegi Chair in Migration and Coexistence.

This new chair has been established with the aim of strengthening institutional collaboration between the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country (EHU) in the field of migration, diversity and social coexistence, thereby reinforcing a strategic area of work for the Basque Country. Its aim will be to promote research, thinking, study and dissemination of knowledge regarding these phenomena, with a particular focus on the situation in the Basque Country and the promotion of public policies from an intercultural approach.

The agreement will initially run for four years and will be funded by a budget amounting to 1,600,000€, at a rate of 400,000€ per year, with the possibility of extension for up to four more years. The chair will be based at the University of the Basque Country’s Bizkaia Campus, and its activities will be overseen by a joint monitoring committee comprising representatives from both institutions.

Measures supporting work-life balance

The final item presented by Regional Minister Nerea Melgosa and approved by the Governing Council is the authorisation for funding measures supporting work-life balance: leave of absence to care for children up to age 3; reduced working hours to care for children up to age 12; and leave of absence and reduced working hours for the care of dependent relatives and those in situations of extreme medical urgency.

With this measure, the Basque Government is stepping up its support for a healthy work-life balance, improving families’ quality of life and well-being by making it easier for them to balance caring for their children and relatives with their work commitments.

The support is aimed at working parents who take a leave of absence or reduce their working hours to care for children or relatives who are dependent or in a state of extreme medical emergency.

The amount of the benefit is determined on the basis of standardised household income, which is calculated by taking into account the household’s income level, composition and type. Furthermore, in order to provide special protection for the most vulnerable groups, the amount of financial assistance is increased for single-parent families, large families, households with a member who is severely dependent or in need of extensive care, or those with a disability exceeding 50 percent, and households with a member who is a victim of gender-based violence.

2.5€ million for medical treatments eligible for public funding

The Governing Council has given the go-ahead for an annual grant scheme designed to help people adhere to their prescribed medical treatments in the face of the pharmaceutical co-payment imposed by the Spanish Government, thereby ensuring that no one stops taking their prescribed medication for financial reasons.

This call for applications covers the expenditure period for financial year 2025, from 1 December to 31 December 2025, and for the 2026 financial year, from 1 January to 30 November 2026. The amount of the financial resources destined to fund this programme totals 2.5€ million. 

Applications may be submitted once the Order has been published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV), which is expected to take place in mid-May. Applications can be made online or in person at the Regional Offices of the Department of Health, at Osakidetza healthcare centres, and at the Zuzenean Citizen Services Offices.

4.6€ million for subsidies to update retail premises and the “Sharing values, supporting local businesses” project

For its part, the Department of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs has submitted the MEC 2026 grant scheme, designed to promote the modernisation of retail premises and services related to commercial activity, to the Governing Council for approval.

The aim of this programme is to promote innovation and improve management tools as well as infrastructure and commercial facilities, with a view to achieving higher standards of quality and competitiveness within the sector. The allocated budget is 4,654,000€. 

The Governing Council has also approved the Arabadendak Trade Association’s project, “Sharing values, supporting local businesses and the Safe Points Network: building community, shaping the future’, which aims to raise awareness within the education sector of the value of supporting local businesses and to promote the Safe Points Network; a budget of €24,100 has been allocated to this project.

1.2€ million for tourism entrepreneurship and competitiveness

The Governing Council has also given the green light to the CTP-2026 aid programme for tourism marketing and promotion. The aim of this programme is to support businesses in the tourism sector in developing and marketing new products, as well as to foster an entrepreneurial spirit and a culture of innovation, and to promote events that help to strengthen the position of the Euskadi Basque Country tourism brand and increase the number of overnight stays. The total amount of this programme is 934,000€.

Decree on the Operating and Organisational Framework of the Basque Country Tourism Board

At today’s Governing Council meeting, the Decree on the Operating and Organisational Framework of the Basque Country Tourism Board was also approved, with the aim of bringing the composition of the Tourism Board into line with the current situation of the key players in the tourism sector. Besides, provisions have been included that were not previously covered, such as the appointment of substitutes, the length of the term of office, the rights and duties of its members, and the establishment of a Standing Committee, amongst others.

500,000€ for projects in mediation and cultural and social innovation

The Governing Council has approved the “Bitartez” call for grant applications aimed at promoting cultural mediation in projects dedicated to contemporary cultural expression and incorporating innovative elements. A total of 500,000€ will be allocated to this call for proposals, representing a 150% increase with respect to the 2025 call.

Projects must fall within a cultural field (visual arts, film and audiovisuals, performing arts, literature or music) and must have started before the deadline for applications and be completed by 31 December 2026.

Establishment of the Usansolo Local Police Force

In addition, the Governing Council has authorised the establishment of the Local Police force for the municipality of Usansolo (Bizkaia), following a request from the local council and after reviewing the favourable technical reports issued by the Department of Security. The new unit will initially consist of four officers (one senior officer and three junior officers), in accordance with the implementation plan presented by the City Council.

This initiative addresses the need to provide the local authority with its own resources to tackle various issues identified in the areas of safety and community relations. These include increased traffic and the resulting parking problems, stemming in part from the activities of Usansolo University Hospital and the metro construction works, as well as a lack of resources to ensure compliance with municipal by-laws, the regulation of activities requiring a licence, the inspection of public events, and verification and certification activities relating to housing.

Agreement between the Basque Academy of Police and Emergency Services and HABE to promote Basque language learning within the Ertzaintza

The Department of Security has also submitted to the Governing Council a proposal to authorise the signing of a management delegation agreement between the Basque Police and Emergency Services Academy and the Institute for Adult Literacy and Basque Language Revitalisation (HABE), with the aim of promoting Basque language learning within the Ertzaintza.

This agreement, which will have a maximum budget of 1,150,000€ for 2026, will enable language training courses to be organised and delivered with a view to accrediting language profiles 1 and 2 for the police force at the centres in Arkaute, Erandio, Oiartzun and Iurreta. Provisions is also made for teaching Basque to students taking the entry-level course for the rank of junior officer in the Basque Country Police Force.

Draft Decree amending, for the second time, the Decree approving the implementing regulations for the Law on Public Entertainment and Recreational Activities

Another item from the Department of Security approved by the Governing Council is the draft decree amending, for the second time, the decree approving the implementing regulations for the Law on Public Entertainment and Recreational Activities. The aim of this new amendment to the decree is to modify areas in where experience has shown there is room for improvement, thereby ensuring greater security in the procedures for revoking the authorisations of admissions staff. The aim is therefore to identify, in an effective and coordinated manner, those who may have committed an act warranting revocation, and to take appropriate action to prevent them from continuing to carry out such duties. The new decree sets out the procedure for revoking authorisation and the subsequent removal from the register, including the possibility of immediate suspension.

The draft decree amending for the second time the decree which approves the implementing regulations for the Law on Public Entertainment and Recreational Activities also strengthens communication channels between the competent authorities responsible for the control, inspection and sanctioning of public entertainment and recreational activities, so that instances of misconduct constituting grounds for licence revoking are identified and shared in order to prevent their recurrence.

Agreement to raise awareness on rural female leadership

The Governing Council has approved an agreement signed between the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Mendinet Local Action Group and the Rural Development Associations (ADR) to launch a campaign in 2026 aimed at recognising and raising awareness of the role of women in rural, agricultural and fishing communities, coinciding with the FAO’s declaration of the International Year the Woman Farmer.

This initiative is structured as a series of monthly events and publications that will take place across various regions between March and December. The aim is to highlight the experiences, projects and career paths of women working in the agricultural sector and rural development, bringing the rural world closer to the public and promoting opportunities for entrepreneurship and the development of life projects.

New members of the Basque Statistics Office

Finally, the Governing Council has approved the decree appointing new members to the Basque Statistics Office, an advisory body that acts as contact point between producers and users of statistical information in the Basque Country.

The seven newly appointed members are: the chair of the Labour Relations Council; the chair of the Basque CES (Economic and Social Council); the chair of the Governing Board of the Basque Association of Economists; the Director-General of Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness; the chair of the Mondragon Corporation Management Research Centre; the President of the Basque Sociology Association; and the Director of the Data Governance Unit at the University of Deusto.