The Government goes public with Euskalmet in order to have its own tools and resources to face future meteorological challenges.

• The Government Council has earmarked 10 million euros for subsidies aimed at town councils that own nursery schools and centres belonging to the Haurreskolak Consortium for the refurbishment or renovation of educational centres.
• The work-life balance grant with a budget of 28 million euros has also been approved, together with the grant for raising and supporting children that has a planned budget of 127 million euros.

Bingen Zupiria, the spokesperson for the Basque Government and Minister for Culture and Language Policy, held a press conference as usual following the Government Council meeting.

ESTABLISHMENT OF EUSKALMET AS A PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

The Government spokesperson outlined that the Governing Council has signed the decree approving the establishment of Euskalmet - Agencia Vasca de Meteorología, S.A.  and, alongside this, the green light had been given to its articles of association, regulations and initial action plan. According to the Government spokesperson, Euskalmet will now become a public limited company that will have the status of " in-house procurement " for the entities that make up the public sector. The change of legal structure of Euskalmet does not affect its business capabilities or workforce as the latter will be integrated into the new public limited company, which will also be managed by the current Head of the Basque Government's Meteorological Service, Jose Antonio Aranda. The new company will continue to be affiliated to the Directorate for Emergency and Meteorology Services, which reports to the Department of Security.

The main reason for going public with this service is that the Basque Government considers it necessary to have its own tools and resources to provide the daily operations required for the tasks of monitoring, supplying information and knowledge of the meteorology of the Basque Country, and to face future challenges arising from adverse weather and climate change with guarantees, aspects closely related to emergency care and management.

SUBSIDIES FOR REFURBISHMENT AND RENOVATION OF CHILDREN'S CENTRES

Today the Basque government approved the Order to grant subsidies amounting to 10 million euros to local councils owning Early Childhood Education nursery schools  as well as to centres that are members of the Haurreskolak Consortium to finance expenses in their facilities. According to Zupiria, "this call for proposals has its origin in the European Next Generation funds and may finance works such as renovations or refurbishments for new classrooms in school buildings that need to adapt their space, or construction works for new nursery schools. All works will take into account the European guidelines on the energy efficiency of buildings and priority will be given to projects impacting students in areas with a higher incidence of poverty risk or social exclusion, students in rural areas or projects which increase the number of places available for 1- and —year-olds”.

GRANTS TO SUPPORT WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND FOR RAISING AND SUPPORTING CHILDREN

According to the spokesperson, the Governing Council has approved the orders regulating grants for work-life balance and raising and supporting children.

The grant for work-life balance is set up as a subjective right, and the Basque Government has planned to allocate almost 28 million euros in 2024 to those who applied for it. Specifically, this grant is intended for leave of absence and reduction of working hours to care for minors; leave of absence and reduction of working hours to care for dependent family members with a serious health condition; leave of absence for the equalisation of leave (single-parent families) and for finding childcare.

Today's Council also approved the order regulating the monthly grant for parenting and child support. Qualifying families will receive a monthly payment of 200 euros per each child until he or she reaches the age of three. Large families will receive an extended grant, receiving another 100 euros per month until the child reaches the age of seven.  Zupiria highlighted that "The project with the anticipated budget of 127 million euros has already accepted over 57,000 applications since this initiative was launched in November last year,”.

OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

As per usual, the spokesperson reported on other subjects dealt with and approved at the Governing Council.

The Basque government has given the go-ahead to the order by which the Department for Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport entrusts Euskal Trendbide Sarea (ETS), a public body dependent on the department, the drafting of the basic and construction projects for the access corridor to the Bilbao-Abando station of the high-speed network in the Basque Country and the management and execution of the platform works. This order follows the agreement signed between ADIF High-Speed and the Basque Government for the construction of the 6.2-kilometre-long access tunnel for the high-speed Galdakao-Basauri section to connect with the centre of Bilbao at Abando station in standard gauge. This second administrative step that was approved today, specifies that ETS will oversee promoting the necessary actions for the project drafting alongside contracting and execution of works. This project will not be funded through the Quota like the previous works related to the high-speed network carried out by the Basque Government in the Gipuzkoan branch, and will have a total cost of 226 million euros,” explained Zupiria.

As far as the Department of Health is concerned, the Governing Council approved two issues related to the management of pharmaceutical services. It has given the go-ahead for the signing of a new agreement between the Department of Health and the Colegio Oficial de Farmaceuticos (Official College of Pharmacists) of Araba Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa in the field of pharmaceutical provision and health collaboration. This comes with the aim of increasing the level of integration of pharmacies as health agents in the Basque Health System, through the provision of community-oriented services in relation to the use of medicines, prevention and health promotion. The expenditure corresponding to the pharmaceutical provision for Basque patients has also been set, with a budget amounting to 566 million euros equally split between the years 2023 and 2024.  An agreement  between Osakidetza, the Official Collage of Pharmacists of the Basque Country and pharmaceutical distribution warehouses to activate a common communication strategy for medicine shortages has also been signed. This is a protocol on how to act quickly in situations like these and to avoid potential harm to patients.

Finally, the Basque Government has approved the annual call for grants for Basque federations' sports programmes with 2.2 million euros earmarked to fund federated sports initiatives.