The Government of Spain approves the Spanish Disability Strategy 2022-2030

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Minister for Territorial Policy and Government Spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, explained that on the occasion of the commemoration of the National Day of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is celebrated every 3 May, the Council of Ministers has approved the Spanish Disability Strategy 2022-2030.

The measure will enable the rights of persons with disabilities and their families to be enforced. Spain is thus following in the footsteps of the European Union, which has just adopted a similar framework for the same period. Moreover, responsibility for the plan falls to the government, the regional governments, the local authorities and even the private sector.

The spokesperson stressed that its aim is to support the "more than four million Spaniards who suffer from disabilities, to accompany them and to break down architectural, social, employment and regulatory barriers". "We want to break down these barriers and build them into stairways of ascent in rights, inclusion and equality," she added.

Isabel Rodríguez stressed that the strategy tackles inequality in the field of disability, i.e. it brings the gender perspective to people with disabilities. This plan ensures that "one of the historical demands of the collective to attend to women and girls with disabilities in situations of inequality that they have suffered in the past" is resolved.

The minister also indicated that the initiative is a response to other cross-cutting challenges included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, such as the climate emergency and the demographic challenge.

The strategy also has an impact on rural areas, small towns and the countryside, where people with disabilities also live and need to be listened to, accompanied and cared for.

The spokesperson pointed out that the measure is financed by Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funds, which the Executive is allocating to areas like public services, accessibility, housing, education and culture, and which will result in the generation of opportunities and new jobs for people with disabilities.

Trade modernisation

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Executive has authorised the territorial distribution among the regional governments of 100 million euros for rural development programmes: The Technology Fund, which is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

Isabel Rodríguez pointed out that these funds are particularly aimed at updating local trade through new technologies and reaching SMEs and small establishments.

Projects will be funded to improve online retail strategies, business models and the shopping experience, as well as to implement proposals to transform the physical retail space and drive energy efficiency and the circular economy.

The spokeswoman stressed that local commerce "is not only business and jobs", but also changes the life of cities and transforms them, cements territorial cohesion and contributes to a more sustainable mode of consumption.

Promotion of the sports sector

The Council of Ministers has approved the distribution of 35 million euros among the regional governments to modernise sports facilities and promote physical exercise.

Of this amount, 26 million is aimed at modernising the infrastructures of the High Performance Sports Centres and the existing Network of Centres in the autonomous regions, to make them more sustainable and energy-optimised. The other 9 million will be used to implement a plan to promote physical activity and sport for health through digital tools.

Rodríguez stated that sport improves quality of life and also contributes to territorial cohesion. The agreement is part of component 26 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

Support for the solvency of strategic companies

The Government has authorised two new operations of the Solvency Support Fund for Strategic Companies, an instrument conceived in July 2020 to help companies with financial problems but proven solvency to maintain their business and jobs in the future. In this case, 38 million euros will go to Grupo Julià and 28 million euros to Grupo Mediterránea de Cátering.

The spokesperson of the Executive argued that both groups are strategic in the tourism and service sectors and have large workforces. "With this decision and these 66 million euros, the government is helping to maintain the employment of more than 10,000 workers".

Isabel Rodríguez added that the government is aware of the viability of both businesses, which is why the measure aims to prevent their closure, guarantee their continuity and their contribution to the country's economy.

Regulations of the Public Prosecution Service

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Council of Ministers has approved the Regulations of the Public Prosecution Service and the expansion of its staff to meet existing needs.

The spokesperson explained that the Regulations of the Public Prosecution Service repeal the current regulation, which dates from 1969 and is therefore pre-constitutional, and adapt it to current legislation. The text covers the categories, acquisition and loss of the status of prosecutor, appointment procedures, regulates the leave of absence of members of the prosecutor's career and the rights and duties of members of the Public Prosecution Service.

Isabel Rodríguez also advanced the creation of 60 new positions to update the staff and the creation of two positions for prosecutors to reinforce the speciality of protection of people with disabilities and the elderly.

New National Security Scheme

The Government has updated the National Security Scheme, which applies to the entire public sector and establishes the security policy for the use of electronic media. It sets out the basic principles and minimum requirements that guarantee the security of the information processed and the protection measures, as well as compliance and monitoring mechanisms.

Security measures are also updated to reduce vulnerabilities, promote continuous vigilance and improve the response to cyber threats, "which are a dynamic and permanent reality for everyone, citizens, administrations and companies," pointed out Rodríguez.

Although Spain is the fourth country in the world and the second in Europe in cybersecurity according to the Global Security Index of the International Telecommunications Union, Rodríguez stressed that it "continues to strengthen its capabilities", not only with the new regulation approved today, but also with the Royal Decree-Law on Cybersecurity and 5G approved last Thursday and the 1 billion investment earmarked for this purpose in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

Investigation into cyber-attack on government mobile phones

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaDuring the press conference following the Council of Ministers, Isabel Rodríguez stated that this updating of resources, means and security protocols is "surely what has allowed us to have accredited facts today that we have made available to the justice system".

Rodríguez was referring to the "external attack, outside the means of the state and illegal, without judicial authorisation" detected against the telephones of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles.

The spokesperson explained that, in addition to denouncing the case, the government made the facts known to the public from minute one, "in an absolute exercise of transparency, which is what is expected of a democratic government".

Isabel Rodríguez maintained, as she did a fortnight ago in relation to the case of cyber-espionage of Catalan and Basque politicians, that the government has nothing to hide and is at the service of "clarifying all the circumstances, so that we can all be reassured that in a democratic state the state and its mechanisms work and, therefore, individual rights and freedoms cannot be violated if it is not by judicial order".

The government will collaborate with the justice system, "even declassifying, if necessary, the affected documentation", in the investigation announced by the Ombudsman and has already launched an internal analysis that includes the mobile devices of the other members of the Executive.

In the same line, the Minister for Defence will appear tomorrow in Congress and the Director of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), Paz Esteban, will appear on Thursday before the Parliamentary Committee on Official Secrets. Both, Rodríguez said, have the backing of the President of the Government of Spain.

The spokeswoman also highlighted the work of the more than 3,000 men and women of the CNI, "a magnificent security organisation for our country".

Non official translation