Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure ES-2020-12/502 – Updated – measures in Spain
Country | Spain , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 18 March 2020 – 28 February 2022 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Measures to prevent social hardship
– Keeping or obtaining a safe home |
Author | Carlos Molina (UAB) |
Measure added | 12 April 2020 (updated 26 January 2022) |
Protection is extended to energy and water supplies, guaranteeing the essential public services for vulnerable families. As a novelty, the services of telecommunications are also guaranteed. This means that over the duration of this measure, those who can't afford to pay the bills of these essential services can't be interrupted. The objective of this measure is to protect those families / persons at risk of exclusion or in a vulnerable position.
There is no quantification of the support provided.
During the month following the entry into force of this royal decree-law, suppliers of electric energy, natural gas and water may not suspend supply to those consumers in which the condition of vulnerable, severe vulnerable consumer or at risk of exclusion occurs, as defined in articles 3 and 4 of Royal Decree 897/2017, of 6 October, which regulates the figure of the vulnerable consumer, the social bonus and other protection measures for domestic consumers. The validity of the social bond is automatically extended until 15 September 2020 for those beneficiaries of the bond that expires before that date, the period provided for in article 9.2 of Royal Decree 897/2017, of 6 October.
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
07 January 2022 |
This policy measure has been extended at least three times. The last time was after the Royal Decree Law 21/2021 of 27 October 2021, Extending mechanisms for social protection to avoid social and economic vulnerability until 28 February 2022. |
There is no estimation on the number of eligible persons.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers | Does not apply to businesses | Applies to all citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Company / Companies |
No special funding required
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement as case not in social partner domain | No involvement as case not in social partner domain |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
This is a pure social measure, but not really in the labour relations domain. As a result, social partners were not involved, though they could have been informed.
Social partners were supportive of this measure.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Guarantee of water and energy supply to vulnerable consumers, measure ES-2020-12/502 (measures in Spain), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/ES-2020-12_502.html
Share
30 January 2023
Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.
Article12 September 2022
Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Article12 September 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.
Article5 July 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.
ArticleDisclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.