Government of Spain to negotiate transfer of powers over road traffic and safety with Navarre

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Pedro Sánchez and Uxue Barkos also discussed the Economic Agreement with Navarre that sets the tax and financial relations between the region and the State. The President of the Regional Government of Navarre asked for negotiations to be sped up in order to make progress on certain technical issues that were left outstanding after the December 2017 agreements and that will enable an end to the legal insecurity being felt by the companies also affected by the Basque Agreement, under which arrangements have already been finalised. Pedro Sánchez said that the Government of Spain is open to continuing the negotiations with a view to working on a satisfactory solution for all parties within the framework of the law.

The President of the Government also confirmed that the Ministry of the Treasury will study the request by Navarre to allocate part of its 2017 surplus to financially sustainable investments provided that its request is reformulated to reduce the amount initially requested so as to avoid risks that could lead the region into a deficit situation and provided that the requirements established in Spanish Constitutional Law 2/2012 on Budget Stability and Financial Sustainability are met.

Infrastructures, CAP and employment reform

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, agreed to withdraw the appeal against Navarre on universal healthcare coverage and agreed with Uxue Barkos to amend existing employment regulations so that workers can recover rights that were lost during the economic crisis. The two leaders also agreed to advocate a strong Common Agricultural Policy to the European Union capable of responding to new challenges and in which Spain should adopt a position before EU institutions that is agreed between the Government of Spain and the various regional governments.

Pool Moncloa/Fernando CalvoOther issues on which the President of the Government and the President of the Regional Government of Navarre agreed included the new design of the unemployment benefit system, the increase in funding for long-term care, the review of the asylum and refugee model, and the review of the existing Education Act (Spanish acronym: LOMCE).

In terms of infrastructure, Pedro Sánchez and Uxue Barkos reviewed both the road and railway works scheduled in Navarre.

Pedro Sánchez announced that the Ministry of Public Works is working on road projects to undertake upgrades on the N-121A, the conversion to dual carriageway of the N-232, the A-15 motorway, the Lodosa junction with the AP-68 and the measures to increase traffic at the Tudela junction (also with the AP-68).

In terms of railways, work will be sped up on removing priority level crossings on the network in order to minimise the risk of accidents, negotiations will be launched with the region for developing the Noáin and Tudela logistics platforms, and talks will begin on finding the best solution for the Zaragoza-Pamplona-Basque Y Connection high-speed line.

Work will also continue under certain safety guarantees on the Yesa Dam expansion, the oversight committee of which will meet shortly, and the second stage of the Navarre Canal works will begin.

Non official translation