Government to push for almost 200 regulations by 2024

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños, has presented the Annual Regulatory Plan 2024 and the Annual Regulatory Evaluation Report 2023, documents that reflect to the public the Government's planning, transparency and accountability.

Annual Regulatory Plan 2024

During his speech at the press conference following the Council of Ministers, Félix Bolaños stressed that it is a "realistic and ambitious" plan with which the Government is renewing its commitment to a progressive agenda to continue making progress on essential reforms and rights.

The document contains 198 initiatives, including six organic laws, 43 ordinary laws and 149 royal decrees. The minister pointed out that half the initiatives are commitments to the EU to apply for the disbursement of Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funds.

The plan directs the Executive's activity towards priorities such as socio-economic modernisation from a green and digital perspective. In this regard, Bolaños said that the Industry Act, the Cinema Act and other cybersecurity regulations will be approved.

Another priority is the modernisation of public institutions, for which the Law for the Transformation of Public Administration and the reform of the Criminal Procedure Law will be approved.

With the aim of advancing citizens' rights, the minister announced that the Organic Law on Complementary Measures to Strengthen Protection against Gender Violence, the Law on Free Legal Aid and the Comprehensive Law to Combat Trafficking and Exploitation of Human Beings will be passed.

Félix Bolaños assured that the Government will continue to improve employment conditions along the lines of the labour reform, which has helped to reduce the temporary employment rate to 13% and to successfully overcome the scourge of precariousness suffered, especially by younger workers and women. The Government will improve the working conditions of statutory health service staff and promote agricultural employment.

The Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños, during his speech at the press conference | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The minister added that the level of unemployment protection will be extended by law, and that work will continue on the drafting of the General State Budget Law for 2025.

Bolaños also expressed the Government's determination to improve the lives of young people: "We had a debt of opportunities and rights with young people, and we have begun to repay it with the Housing Law, the labour reform and the increase in grants and the minimum wage".

The minister announced that a Youth Law will be passed and that access to the job market for young people will be promoted through official university degree courses, the completion of the vocational training reform and the approval of a start-up statute for students. The protection of minors in the digital environment and the prevention of alcohol consumption will also continue to be addressed.

Regulatory Assessment Report 2023

A total of 52% of the 117 regulatory initiatives included in the 2023 Regulatory Plan have already been approved or are in the pipeline, despite geopolitical conflicts and the electoral situation, according to Félix Bolaños.

The minister also pointed out that other regulations not included in the plan were approved in 2023, which is why he described the balance as "satisfactory".

Economic, social and employment leadership

Bolaños stressed that the Government "keeps on adding" in terms of its progressive project to transform society and solve citizens' everyday problems. He also highlighted Spain's economic leadership, which is growing five times faster than the European average, with 21 million people in work -one out of every four jobs created in Europe is created in Spain-, and its leadership in welfare and equality policies, with the updating of pensions and the improvement of paternity and maternity leave, which will soon be extended to 20 weeks.

Cinema tickets at €2 euros for seniors

The Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, explains the measures approved by the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The Council of Ministers has promoted the second edition of 'Cine Sénior' [Senior Cinema], a programme of subsidies to cinemas that allows people aged 65 and over to go to the cinema every Tuesday for €2. The Government is allocating €12 million to this initiative, 20% more than was earmarked for the first edition, and the number of beneficiaries is estimated at 9.5 million.

The Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, recalled that cinema was one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic and that one of the reasons for its difficult recovery is the fall in the number of older audiences. To this effect, the programme is "a measure to support a key sector for the culture and economy of our country", said Urtasun, who recalled that the first edition increased cinema attendance on Tuesdays by 49%.

The head of culture also framed this initiative within one of the fundamental objectives of his department: to guarantee cultural rights to the entire population and throughout the territory, "regardless of their age, postcode or income".

What's new in 'Senior Cinema'?

Urtasun thanked the exhibition and distribution sector for their collaboration both in the implementation of 'Cine Sénior' and in the design of the improvements introduced in this second edition.

First, anybody aged 65 and over will be able to purchase discounted tickets not only at the box office, but also online. Second, the distribution system has been improved by allocating more resources to the cinemas with the highest number of spectators in these age groups. A reserve fund of €1.75 million has also been created to ensure that the credit does not run out, and a publicity campaign has been agreed upon in which exhibitors and distributors will take part, together with the Ministry of Culture.

Ernest Urtasun detailed that all cinemas wishing to benefit from the subsidy will be able to do so within seven days of the opening of the call for applications. "Users aged 65 and over only have to make sure that their nearest cinema is taking part in the programme to be able to take advantage of it every Tuesday at the reduced price of €2, as soon as the programme is launched," he said.

Improvement of the Land Law

The Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, during her speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, explained during her speech at the press conference that the Council of Ministers has sent to the General Courts a modification of the Law on Land and Urban Rehabilitation. The aim of the draft law is to "give stability, certainty and legal security" to spatial and urban planning instruments.

The regulatory change, widely demanded by autonomous communities and city councils, aims to prevent formal errors from paralysing urban plans, and to help promote rehabilitation and construction actions to promote sustainable and inclusive urban development and improve the rural environment.

Ceasefire in Gaza

She also welcomed the UN Security Council resolution which, for the first time, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages. "This mandate is in line with what the Government of Spain has maintained from the outset and with what was approved at the last European Council", Alegría stressed, describing the current situation of the Palestinian population as "extremely dramatic".

Last, Alegría referred to the "excellent" forecasts for the tourism sector this Easter, with more than 14 million tourists expected to arrive, who will spend an estimated €19,000 million. According to the minister, these figures reflect "the good health" of the sector, "in line with the good performance of the economy".

Non official translation