Basque economy to grow by 2% in 2025

The spokesperson for the Basque Government and Minister of Governance, Digital Administration and Self-Government, Maria Ubarretxena, appeared today together with the second vice-president of the Basque Government and Minister of Economy, Labour and Employment, Mikel Torres.

In the first meeting of the year, the President of the Basque Community informed the councillors of the Government's upcoming priorities and commitments. These include the strengthening of essential services, and the prioritisation of projects and initiatives aimed at transforming the Basque Country and advancing its institutionalisation.

The President has committed to ensuring that at least 50% of the initiatives and commitments included in the Government Programme will be in place within the next six months.

In the area of public services, the spokeswoman emphasised the Government's dedication to sustaining its efforts to enhance comprehension in pivotal domains of discourse, including the Health Board and the Social Pact for Housing.

The Social Forum for Housing, in which the President will participate, is scheduled to convene on 22 January. A week later, on 29 January, the Mesa por la Salud will meet again.

Another of the objectives explained by the Spokesperson was the commitment to design and invest in the future, in the transformations that represent the Euskadi Berria. The objectives are linked to the Basque Country’s digital, green and social transformation.

According to Ubarretxena, the President of the Basque Country wished to emphasise the priority challenge of enhancing the living conditions of young people. “We are indebted to our elders, as well as to our youth. Ensuring that young Basque people have the opportunities they deserve is the Basque Country’s priority and shared objective", stressed Maria Ubarretxena.

In addition to the challenges previously outlined, the Spokesperson identified full compliance with the Statute of Gernika as a key priority for the President.

The Spokesperson stated: “We are committed to achieving full compliance with the Statute of Gernika. I can assure you that we are continuing to work to present specific proposals within the Basque-State Bilateral Commission”.

The final detail of the work permits for foreigners are being finalised. Progress is also being made in the areas of CNV de Maquinaría de Barakaldo, Meteorology and Maritime Rescue.

The Executive Spokesperson also explained that the Basque Government has raised and will raise the corresponding transfer to the Social Security in all working meetings. “It is our obligation to honour our commitments and reach an agreement. We are confident that this is achievable and that it will be advantageous for both parties,” he stated during the press conference.

Finally, the spokesperson confirmed that the President also expressed his concern over the lack of agreement and commitments on the issue of migration.

On 2 January, the President of the Canary Islands and the President of the Basque Country sent a joint letter to all the regional presidents with a proposal on unaccompanied minors.

Maria Ubarretxena clarified that both Ceuta and organisations such as Amnesty International have already expressed interest in the content of the proposal. He stated: “Our intention is to continue adding support. We are going to work on disseminating the agreement to Development Non-Governmental Organisations to make its contents known and to gather more support”.

Basque economy grows faster than eurozone

Torres has released the Basque Government's economic forecasts for 2025. The Basque Government forecasts that the Basque economy will grow by 2%, outperforming the euro area, which is expected to grow by 1.3%.

Growth will be supported by significant increases in the three main productive sectors: services (2.1%), industry (1.4%) and construction (2.2%). Consequently, employment in the Basque Country is projected to rise by 1.4%, while the unemployment rate is anticipated to decline to an annual average of 6.9%.

Agreement on radiological emergencies

One of the agreements approved today by the Governing Council was the extension of the collaboration agreement between the Basque Government and the Nuclear Safety Council on radiological emergencies for the next four years.

As the Spokeswoman informed, this agreement highlights the value of cooperation in the planning, implementation and maintenance of the 'Basque Radiological Emergency Plan'. It also prioritises collaboration between the two institutions in terms of resources and operational experience.

In the event of a radiological emergency for which the Basque Government is responsible for managing and directing, the 'Basque Radiological Emergency Plan' will be activated at the response level considered appropriate for population protection.

Maria Ubarretxena clarified that the Basque Government will duly consider the Council's recommendations concerning measures to safeguard the population. It will maintain permanent contact with this body for the duration of the emergency, exchanging all the information necessary to coordinate actions. 

In the event of an accident involving radiological risk, the Nuclear Safety Council will immediately inform the Basque Government. It will advise the Director of the Emergency Plan for the Risk of Accidents in the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail in the Basque Country, or the Director of the Autonomous Community Radiological Emergency Plan, on the protection measures that should be adopted to mitigate the consequences of the emergency. 

Finally, the Government Spokesperson has clarified that the development and fulfilment of the agreement is the responsibility of a Monitoring Committee made up of three people from each of the parties. In the case of the Basque Country, these include the Director of Emergency Attention and Meteorology of the Basque Government, the Planning Lead of the Directorate, and the person responsible for the Radioactive Installations Service of the Directorate of Administration and Industrial Safety.