The Basque Government will conclude the authorisation of work permits for foreign nationals in the coming weeks

• The Joint Committee on Transfers has today approved the transfer of Coastal Planning and Management and Cinematographic and Audiovisual Activity
• The Subcommittee for Institutional Coordination and Promotion was convened to accelerate and conclude the four most advanced transfers

The Joint Commission on Transfers convened today in Madrid to award two competencies to the Basque Country, as agreed upon at the Permanent Bilateral Cooperation Commission held on 26 November between President of the Basque Country Imanol Pradales and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez: The Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries will assume responsibility for Coastal Planning and Management, while the Department of Culture and Linguistic Policy will oversee Cinematographic and Audiovisual Activity.

The attendees included the Regional Minister of Governance, Digital Administration and Autonomy, Maria Ubarretxena; the Vice-President of the Basque Country and Regional Minister of Culture and Basque Language Policy, Ibone Bengoetxea; the Regional Minister of Treasury and Finance, Noël d'Anjou; the Regional Minister of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, Amaia Barredo; and the Director of Autonomy, Begoña Pérez de Eulate. The meeting was chaired by Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Devolution, Memory and Historical Justice, on behalf of the Spanish government.

Relevant competences for the Basque Country

Minister Ubarretxena emphasised the significance of the two new competencies acquired, stating: "These are not merely two additional competencies for the Basque Country. The transfer of Coastal Management will empower us to oversee all new projects and infrastructure developments related to the Basque coast. By acquiring this competence, we can expedite projects and integrate the coast into our territorial planning strategy.”

The Basque Country will henceforth be able to manage and grant a range of authorisations, including those related to easements used for transit purposes and access to the sea for urban development projects, promenades, cycle lanes, and other similar initiatives. Furthermore, the Basque Country will be able to grant concessions for the construction of bridges, electricity or communications lines, jetties, marshes or fixed dry docks.

Similarly, this competence will facilitate the promotion of key energy transition infrastructures, including wind turbines and power lines, as well as new fishing projects such as the planned installation of bluefin tuna fattening cages off the Basque coast in Getaria. Additionally, it will support the extension of the nature network towards the sea in the Jaizkibel area.

The economic valuation of the transfer will result in a deduction of 6.24% of the 4.3 million euro amount, representing the total annual cost to the state of the transferred functions, from the quota to be paid to the state. A total of 14 staff members will be assigned to the services in question.

About Cinematographic and Audiovisual Activity, this represents the final step in our ability to state with certainty that the Gernika Statute has been fully implemented in the cultural sector.  

In essence, the transfer will result in the Basque Country assuming responsibility for the management of aid for audiovisual development, the implementation of audiovisual literacy policies (including the promotion of cinemas), and aid administration to the audiovisual sector for the production, distribution, and exhibition of Basque-language audiovisual works. Furthermore, it assumes responsibility for the administration of contributions to the Fund for the promotion of cinematography and audiovisual works in co-official languages other than Spanish, received from public and private television and audiovisual communication service providers in the Autonomous Community.

In her speech, Maria Ubarretxena highlighted the need for greater investment, given that the Basque language is a unique feature of the Basque Country.

The economic valuation of the transfer will result in a deduction of 1,900,000 euros from the quota to be paid to the State.

Pending Transfers

Prior to the Joint Committee on Transfers, a further meeting of the Subcommittee for Institutional Coordination and Promotion was held between the Spanish and Basque Governments to address the 27 pending transfers.

The decision has been made to accelerate the pace of the working group responsible for concluding the four transfers associated with this project’s inaugural phase. The following departments require work permits for foreign nationals: Work Permits for Foreigners; Maritime Rescue; Meteorology; and the National Centre for Machine Verification in Barakaldo

In this regard, the Regional Minister announced that the transfer of work permit competence for foreigners will be finalised in the coming weeks. “The forecast is that the first work permits from the Basque Country will be processed in 2025.” Ubarretxena highlighted the good harmony between both governments regarding the rest of the devolved powers fulfilling the Gernika Statute and emphasised the commitment and firm decision to comply with what has been agreed. The Regional Minister expressed gratitude to the Minister and the Secretary for their willingness to assist, as well as to the three Basque Government councillors for their departments' contributions to the transfer process.