Government improves management of temporary rivers

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers ratified the provisional authorisation for the Hydrographical Confederation of the Júcar to sign up to a partnership agreement with the University of Barcelona, the Spanish Water Agency and the Higher Council of Scientific Research (Spanish acronym: CSIC) in order to implement the LIFE+ "LIFE Trivers" project.

The Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, explained that the aim of this project is "to determine the network of temporary rivers, improve their management and evaluate their ecological state".

To do that, software known as TREHS (temporary River Ecology and Hydrological State) will be used. This tool "will help water basin authorities to establish whether the seasonal nature of these bodies of water is a result of natural changes, climate change or human intervention in the region, by means of a predictive model of the trends of the nature of these rivers", pointed out the Vice-President of the Government. Moreover, the TREHS will allow technicians to select the appropriate dates for sampling and the methods to determine their ecological state.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría announced that the European Commission approved a total budget of 1.4 million euros to implement these works, of which the Commission itself will contribute 683,000 euros, while the remainder will be "principally covered by the Hydrographical Confederation of the Júcar and the Higher Council of Scientific Research".

Damage repairs due to flooding of Sil

Pool Moncloa/JM.CuadradoThe government authorised emergency works to repair the damage caused due to flooding in the Sil river basin, in the district of Bierzo (Leon), following the heavy storms in the months of January and February this year.

The Vice-President of the Government reported that 400,000 euros will be allocated to two types of action. Water mains and treatment facilities in Bembibre will be repaired following flooding of the River Boeza and the damage caused to the channels of the Rivers Sil, Oza, Cúa and Barredos, in the municipalities of Ponferrada, Carracedelo and Carucedo, will be repaired.

Nationality granted to six Venezuelans

The Council of Ministers granted Spanish nationality by naturalisation card to six people on extraordinary, justifiable and urgent grounds. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría argued that "their personal and family lives have been so harshly affected by political and judicial persecution which they have been victim to in Venezuela".

The six individuals are the sister and brother-in-law of the opposition politician Leopoldo López - Diana Cristina López Mendoza and her husband Herman José Sifontes Tovar - and the businessman Luis Carlos Serra Carmona, his wife and their two children.

Pool Moncloa/ JM. CuadradoBy taking this decision, "in addition to being an exercise in responsibility, Spain once again manifests, in line with the opinion of the vast majority of Spaniards, its solidarity with those who suffer from political persecution and shows its full support for the values expressed under the rule of law and by free societies: democracy, equality, respect for human rights, the protection of the law and justice", stressed the Government Spokesperson.

The Vice-President of the Government recalled that on 11 December 2015, the Council of Ministers approved the concession of Spanish nationality to the parents of the "political prisoner" Leopoldo López. In relation to Luis Carlos Serra, she pointed out that his parents were born in Spain and he is the chair of the editorial committee of the Venezuelan daily 'El Nacional', "a media outlet whose journalistic research related to the Bolivarian regime in Venezuela has led to him becoming one of the 22 citizens who have been sued before the Venezuelan courts".

Other agreements

The Council of Ministers authorised the State agency Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) to make two contributions to the European Institute for Innovation and Technology, for a total sum of 490,000 euros. This body, which operates under the auspices of the European Commission, fosters research, innovation and education in strategic European sectors with the aim of strengthening the ability of the EU to deal with social challenges.

The government also approved the awarding of the posthumous Grand Cross of Alfonso X the Wise to Miguel de la Quadra-Salcedo. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría highlighted his work as a reporter, as a defender of the environment and as a sportsman and recalled that he was the architect of the 'Quetzal Route', a project that "has forged closer ties of unity with Ibero-America".

Current affairs

Pool Moncloa/ JM. CuadradoOn being asked about the decision taken by the European Commission to request the Spanish Government to implement new measures to reduce the public deficit, the Vice-President of the Government recalled "its significant reduction" during the 10th Legislature: from 9.3% at the start of the period down to 5% by 2015.

On this point, she pointed out that "leading international newspapers quote the example of the high rate of growth and job creation, reforms and measures adopted by President of the Government Rajoy at the head of the government".

As regards the public debt, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría pointed out that the government has given "transparency" to a debt that previously existed but which "had not come to light". She added that the Stability Update Plan 2016-2019 is designed to progressively reduce the public debt and establish the non-availability of 2 billion euros, in addition to other measures to be taken by the regional governments.

As regards the controversy surrounding the banning of 'estelada' flags in the final of the Football King's Cup to be held in Madrid on Sunday, the Vice-President of the Government argued that the Government Representative in Madrid has taken this decision in line with the provisions contained in the Sport Act and with the approach adopted on previous occasions by UEFA, taking into consideration "technical and operational criteria, rather than political criteria".

According to Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, "an exaggerated tendency exists to seek to politicise everything", when the ideal situation is for "football to be just football", and for the only "rivalry" to be sporting rivalry in these matches, and for those people who follow this sport "to enjoy this weekend".

Given that a civil suit has been filed against the ban on displaying these flags, the government "will respect and uphold the decision adopted by the courts", underlined the Vice-President of the Government.