The Basque Government presents the second call for proposals for the modernisation fund for trade with a budget of 4 million euros

• The Lehendakari to continue intensifying his agenda to promote the Atlantic Axis 

• The Governing Council approves aid for culture and oral health 

The spokesperson of the Basque Government and Minister of Culture and Language Policy, Bingen Zupiria, appeared at the usual press conference after the Governing Council, together with the Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment, Arantxa Tapia, the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Javier Hurtado, and the Secretary General of Social Transition and Agenda 2030, Jonan Fernández.

The Minister for Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs has presented the second call for applications for the modernisation programme for commerce, known as the Technological Fund. It is endowed with 4.1 million for the Basque Country in 2 calls, 2022-2023, financed with Next Generation European Funds. It is part of the Spanish Government's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and today the second of the calls has been approved for actions carried out throughout 2022 and endowed with 2.1 million euros. As Hurtado explained, its objective is to support and boost competitiveness and modernisation through the digital and sustainable transformation of the commercial sector. These 4 million euros are in addition to the other contributions of the Next Generation Funds for the tourism and trade sectors in the Basque Country, which amount to more than 85 million euros.

ATLANTIC AXIS

Within the framework of the promotion of the Atlantic Axis, the spokesman announced that the Lehendakari intends to intensify his agenda to promote this project. Thus, he explained that the Lehendakari will address the French Ambassador in Spain, to officially inform him of the different initiatives that have arisen in this regard, will go to the European Commissioner for Transport and will meet with the President of Wales. Furthermore, the opportunity is open to promote the Atlantic Macroregion in the second half of the year, when Spain will hold the presidency of the European Union.

EMANCIPATION STRATEGY 

The Secretary General for Social Transition and the 2030 Agenda has reported on the Basque Strategy 2030 to promote Youth Emancipation approved today by the Governing Council. As Jonan Fernández explained, the aim of this Strategy is to contribute to the emancipation rate of young people approaching 50% by 2030 and, in terms of the average age of emancipation, the objective is to bring it below 28 years of age. The Strategy includes the promotion of the Emantzipa Programme, which, in 2024, will make it possible for a 300 euros per month grant to be provided for two years to young people between the ages of 25 and 29 who are in the process of emancipation with an income of less than 28,000 euros. “This is an important initiative, no doubt, but it is even more important because it is not an isolated initiative. It is part of an ecosystem of measures aimed at collaborating with young people in their processes of autonomy and construction of life and family projects,” he said. 

2This Strategy aims to lay out a synergetic system and a space for inter-institutional and social collaboration. Precisely for this reason, it aims to promote a great pact with and for youth. The tenth and last of its ten driving projects is dedicated precisely to developing this objective. It is a national objective and a top priority. It requires the search for the broadest consensus,” said the Secretary General for Social Transition and Agenda 2030.

AGREEMENTS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

As usual, the spokesperson, Bingen Zupiria, provided information on other issues discussed in the Governing Council, including the following:

On the one hand, the Governing Council today approved the distribution of subsidies to political parties represented in the Basque Parliament. The aim of the aid is to cover ordinary operation costs during 2023. The distribution is calculated taking into account the results of the last elections to the Basque Parliament in votes and seats published in the Bulletin by the Electoral Board of the Basque Country. A total of €4,536,000.00 will be allocated for this purpose.

Likewise, the Governing Council today approved the Decree regulating the Interinstitutional Commission for the Rationalisation and Dimensioning of the Basque Public Sector, a relevant instrument to avoid overlaps and duplications in order to ensure that the size of Basque administrations is adequate for their purposes and functions.

Another of the topics addressed in today's meeting was the approval of the 5^th Environmental Program 2030 that includes eight transformative projects that are the compass that will guide the Basque environmental policy until the end of the decade. These are projects that address global problems from an environmental perspective, with the execution of disruptive actions to generate more sustainable practices, involving administration, companies and citizens. The aim is to: promote a purchasing centre for sustainable products and services; foster the sustainable cohesion of the territory; set up a health and environment observatory; promote circularity in value chains; help the transition of SMEs towards sustainability; encourage social innovation at the service of sustainability; empower citizens in sustainable consumption; and promote sustainable finances.

Regarding health, today's meeting approved the Decree on the provision of oral healthcare for the population aged 7 to 15 in the Basque Country, the PADI, a programme that has been implemented in the Basque Country for 33 years and that guarantees oral healthcare from two premises: quality and equity. The Programme foresees healthcare for a population of 187,371 children by 2023 (according to Eustat data) and will have a forecast expenditure of €6,700,000.  

Finally, three issues in relation to the area of Culture and Language Policy:

On the one hand, the Governing Council today approved the call for Lanhitz 2023. The purpose of the call for applications is to award grants to increase the use and presence of Basque in the workplace. In total, the Department of Culture and Language Policy will allocate two million euros to this call.

On the other hand, grants in the amount of 1,400,000 euros have been approved for the promotion of professional theatre, dance and circus productions. Last year's call supported 38 performing arts productions thanks to this programme.

And, thirdly, according to the agreement adopted today, three million euros will be allocated to subsidies for the promotion of activities aimed at the enhancement and dissemination of  Basque Cultural Heritage.