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-2021-11/1826 – measures in Spain
Country | Spain , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 12 March 2021 – 31 December 2021 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
– Support for spending, stimulus packages |
Author | Carlos Molina (UAB) |
Measure added | 08 April 2021 (updated 30 April 2021) |
The Council of Ministers has approved Royal Decree-Law 5/2021 on extraordinary measures to support business solvency, which mobilises €11 billion in direct aid to companies, through subsidies, cost reduction and reinforcement of their capital.
This aid will be aimed at viable companies in the sectors most affected by the pandemic, in order to channel resources to the economy as a whole and reduce the risk of over-indebtedness that could hamper the economic recovery.
The objective is to continue protecting the economy, maintain employment, prevent a negative impact on public finances and the financial system and, ultimately, avoid a structural impact on the economy. For this, the law establishes various instruments so that companies and self-employed can face the payment of invoices with suppliers, fixed costs and other debts, financial and non-financial, thus improving their balance sheets and guaranteeing the maintenance of their businesses.
The new measures, together with those already agreed for this year, represent a fiscal effort of direct aid to protect the economy, employment and health that exceeds 2% of GDP. These include the resources transferred by the State to the autonomous communities and that are already allowing the mobilization of €2 billion to help the self-employed and companies in their territories.
Direct financial support to companies and the self-employed amount to €7 billion, allowing autonomous communities to grant direct aid to the self-employed and companies in the sectors most affected by the pandemic whose income has fallen by more than 30% compared to 2019.
All companies and self-employed in the hospitality and tourism sector, plus sectors with access to the expanded Temporary lay-offs established in Royal Decree-Law 2/2021, and others especially affected by the pandemic, such as the activities of the manufacturing industry related to commerce and hospitality; wholesale and retail trade; auxiliary transport sectors; aeronautical maintenance, and activities related to culture and sports activities. In total, there are about a hundred activities to which the resources will be able to reach.
No information available.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers | Applies to all businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Local / regional government |
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Social partners were not involved in the design of the policy measure nor will in in its implementation.
Employer organisations and trade unions welcome the policy measure, but asked to devote more money to direct aid to companies. At the moment, €7000 million euro out of €11000 will be directly to companies, with the remaining €4000 million euro providing easy access to credit and refinancing.
Citation
Eurofound (2021), Direct aids to strengthen the solvency of self-employed and companies, measure ES-2021-11/1826 (measures in Spain), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/ES-2021-11_1826.html
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