The Basque Country wants to go one step further when it comes to shielding the permanence of companies in the territory. The PNV and the PSE, the two parties that make up the Basque Government, have supported this Thursday the consideration of a bill defended by EH Bildu in the Basque Parliament that, among other measures, proposes demanding the return of public aid received to companies leaving the territory.
This is the most important point of the EH Bildu proposal aimed at combating the relocation of companies, also supported by Podemos. As explained by the Abertzale coalition, it is sought that the subsidies that companies receive from the public sector are aimed “at making an economic and social contribution to the development of the Basque Autonomous Community”, setting the obligations and limitations of the companies that receive grants†from the regional Administration in the face of possible relocation processes.
This initiative comes after changes in the capital of companies such as Gamesa, founded by businessmen from Ãlava and today 97.59% owned by Siemens Energy; ITP Acero, created by the Sendagorta family and today with minimal Basque participation; or Euskaltel, created with public support and today owned by MásMóvil.
The investment funds have also reached other Basque companies, which are witnessing a loss of roots that has led the Basque Government to make a move with other initiatives. The most relevant has been the creation of the Finkatuz fund, with an endowment of 300 million euros and aimed at participating in companies with roots in the territory such as CAF, Kaiku, the aforementioned ITP Acero or Arteche.
The approval of the partners of the Basque Government to the initiative of EH Bildu seeks to delve into this path, trying to put a stop to the relocation of companies, in the opinion of the Abertzale coalition, an element that “is used as a threat to precarious conditions of employment and it is a phenomenon that damages the Basque economyâ€.
The parties in the Basque Government advocate that the bill presented by EH Bildu be processed together with the draft law regulating the subsidies regime that it expects to approve shortly.
The PNV, in any case, has defended that there are already regional regulations in this regard and has defended that it “continues to work in defense of the establishment of companies.”
EH Bildu considers that aid to companies must “bring about a series of commitments on the part of the companies, such as the establishment of roots and permanence in the territory, among others”.
