The Government of the Canary Islands and the State Government have reached an agreement to unblock over 196 million euros in pending transfers. These funds will be allocated to employment policies, the fight against poverty, and strategic infrastructure for the islands and will be presented this Tuesday to the Council of Ministers.
This progress follows a meeting between the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, with the participation of other authorities such as the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the Minister of Presidency, Nieves Lady Barreto.
Fernando Clavijo highlighted the importance of institutional dialogue to translate commitments into concrete responses for the Canary Islands, emphasizing that "the important thing is that the Canary Islands advance and that commitments become facts." He noted that the islands' interests have been defended through dialogue and firmness to improve public services and boost investment.
The specific transfers to be submitted to the Council of Ministers include 30 million euros for anti-poverty policies, 45 million for the Canary Islands Comprehensive Employment Plan, 23.1 million to offset the economic effects of the war in the Middle East, 53 million for actions at the port of Granadilla, and 45 million for the Reina Sofía dock at the Port of La Luz and Las Palmas.
The President highlighted that these resources represent progress in fulfilling pending commitments and that the regional executive will continue working to resolve other outstanding items in the coming months. "These are funds to generate employment, strengthen support for those most in need, and advance strategic infrastructure for our development," he stated.
The Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, praised the Government of the Canary Islands' capacity for dialogue and stated that the agreement "understands and addresses the uniqueness of the Canary Islands."
The meeting also advanced the approval of a specific decree for the Canary Islands, planned for late August or early September, which will prioritize urgent measures for the recovery of La Palma, including a 60% IRPF (personal income tax) bonus and 100 million euros for the island.
Clavijo insisted that negotiations on other commitments, such as resources for hydraulic works, POSEI funding, and compensation for migrant care, will remain open. "Our obligation is to seize every opportunity for dialogue to achieve progress," he said.
Minister Ángel Víctor Torres indicated that the Canarian decree will be presented at the first Council of Ministers after the summer break, possibly on August 25th or September 1st. He also reported that the Canary Islands will receive 93 out of 108 million euros in regional incentives, as published in the Official State Gazette.
It was also agreed to expand the Autonomous Community's investment capacity through greater flexibility in the use of its surplus, allowing for the mobilization of approximately 600 million euros for strategic investments across the eight islands.
Clavijo argued that "it makes no sense for the Canary Islands to have resources and not be able to use them to meet the islands' needs," which will enable improvements in healthcare, education, and social policies.
Regarding the new regional financing system, the Canary Islands will defend its position to obtain over 1.337 billion euros in additional funds. It is guaranteed that the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) will remain outside the ordinary regional financing system, and the compensation for the former IGTE is resolved.
Despite adjustments in the weighting of island-specific factors, the impact will be compensated through the Economic Dynamism Fund and other mechanisms. The Canary Islands will receive 611 million euros from the financing system and an additional 726 million from the Economic Dynamism Fund, which will be freely disposable, indefinite, and monthly liquidated.
The President emphasized that these resources will allow the Canary Islands to allocate funds to priorities such as improving essential public services. Improvements in VAT collection and non-homogeneous competencies are also included to offset less favorable variables.
Clavijo recalled the objective set by the Canary Islands from the outset of the negotiation: to preserve the REF in its entirety, definitively resolve the issue of the former IGTE, and improve financing, achieved through dialogue and consensus within the Canary Islands, including social and economic agents.
