Spain has reached the highest rate of execution of European funds in the first months of the year. After more than two years of implementation of the recovery plan, a level of committed items had never been reached, which is when the beneficiary already knows that he will receive the money, and of authorized aid such as the current one. The Government boasts of “cruising speed”. There are 10,757 million authorized in the first weeks of 2023, almost 40% of the 28,692 million budgeted for the entire year. Of them, 5,788 million have already been unlocked.
“Spain accelerates the deployment of European funds”, defended the first vice president, Nadia Calviño, during her appearance in Congress to update the data on their execution. She has spoken of a rollout “that is remarkably accelerating in the first quarter of 2023.”
The Government has already authorized the distribution of 58,028 million euros, funds that have been classified as “recognized obligations”. The pace is increasing practically day by day. In 2022, the authorized total was 25,143 million and a year earlier, in 2021, 22,129 million were unlocked. At a global level, since the beginning of the implementation of the recovery plan, 90% of the budgeted funds have been authorized.
But authorization of transfers does not mean execution. The Government estimated a few days ago at 75% of the European funds executed, which is not the same as transferred. However, the Government clarifies that the items classified as executed, which is not the same as transferred, are already computed as a contribution to the real economy, even if that payment has not been made. Calviño has estimated that European funds will make a contribution to GDP of 2.6 points over a decade.
The person in charge of the economic area of ??the Government has also updated the allocation of funds by autonomous communities as of March 8. In total, 21,609 million have been assigned, with Andalusia being the most benefited region, with 3,420 million. It is followed by Catalonia, with 3,181 million; the Community of Madrid, with 2,374 million; and the Valencian Community, with 2,060 million. In a lower step are the Canary Islands, with 1,383 million assigned; Castilla y León, with 1,353 million; Galicia, with 1,276 million; and Castilla-La Mancha, with 1,060 million.
Below that figure are the Basque Country, with 895 million allocated, the Balearic Islands, with 884 million; Aragon, with 744 million; Extremadura, with 706 million; Murcia, with 648 million; Asturias, with 527 million; Navarra, with 425 million; Cantabria, with 352 million; and La Rioja, with 240 million. Ceuta and Melilla have received a contribution of 41 and 40 million from European funds.
The central government has estimated the degree of execution of the autonomous communities at 4,200 million until March, compared to 19,300 million for the general administration. An unequal distribution that has led the Executive to carry out a commission to the public company Tragsatec to offer an assistance and advice service to regional and local administrations. 290,000 projects will be affected by European funds.
Regarding the payments from the European Commission, Calviño stated that the Government expects to receive the payment of 6,000 million corresponding to the third installment of European funds at the beginning of April. The vice president has also advanced that she is already working on the request for the fourth transfer, worth 10,000 million, once the pension reform has been approved.
