The head of the Canarian Executive, Ángel Víctor Torres, has obtained this Wednesday the commitment of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, to support the candidacy of the Canary Islands to host the headquarters of the European Tourism Agency. This was indicated by Torres, in statements to journalists, after holding a meeting of almost two hours with Sánchez, taking advantage of the fact that he is spending a few days of summer rest on the island of Lanzarote.
Specifically, he stated that Pedro Sánchez has conveyed his commitment to support the candidacy of the Canary Islands to be the European Tourism Agency, a request that he indicated he had already conveyed to the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, since the support of the central government is needed to present the candidacy.
Thus, after obtaining Sánchez's commitment, he has advanced that in the next Governing Council, which will be held this August, this candidacy will be approved "with all that this means" and before the "fundamental moment of control" of the pandemic, as well as of "strengthening" the archipelago for the high season months.
Torres, who has been "satisfied" after the meeting, also pointed out that he has again requested Sánchez to hold the Conference of Presidents before the end of 2021 in the Canary Islands, pointing out that he believes that "it will be so".
Budgets and REF
He also stated that both leaders have spoken about the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF), specifically about the fact that the Canary Islands have a difference of 80 percent of the audiovisual sector that records in the archipelago compared to the Spanish territory, a matter that he stated that "is resolved and will be resolved at the end of the summer in the legislative plane" to "not" have "any problem" again.
Likewise, he added that the coastal competences will be "in the hands" of the Canarian Executive "at the end of the summer", since the agreement with the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Transition is "quite finalized and advanced". In any case, he assured that the Canary Islands-State bilateral commission "is going to be held but the underlying problem is already resolved" in relation to what has to do with the audiovisual sector.
In relation to this, he said that there will be General State Budgets (PGE) for 2022 in which "of course" there will be items that have to do with the archipelago's jurisdiction, with the REF.
Torres has cited other issues discussed in this meeting, such as the road amendment and the surplus, in addition to unaccompanied minors in the framework of the migratory phenomenon. On this last point, he admitted that President Sánchez has conveyed his "sensitivity to find solutions", although he pointed out that it is an issue that "depends at this time on the solidarity of the communities" and also on the bilateral relations of the Government of Spain with other governments such as those of Senegal, Mauritania or Morocco both for the migration of adults and minors who arrive in the archipelago.
Covid Certificate
The President of the Canary Islands has taken advantage of the meeting with Sánchez to discuss the issue of presenting the Covid certificate, on which he has requested that when 70 percent of people with double vaccination guidelines in Spain is reached, "homogeneous criteria" should be adopted for, for example, indoor spaces, in order to ensure that "there is maximum security through the green certificate", to which he pointed out that the president "is sensitive".
For Torres, with a "mostly immunized population, health security must prevail with respect to access to interiors", as well as with the fact that the majority of workers are immunized.
Finally, when asked if he has spoken with President Sánchez about the rise in electricity prices, he admitted that it is an issue that they have discussed "slightly" to, add, that it "corresponds to the Government of Spain and it has to be the Government of Spain, and it will do so, the one that gives an answer", affirming that Pedro Sánchez "will make the decision in the appropriate forum".