SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27th February (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Vice President and Minister of Economy, Industry, Commerce, and Self-Employment of the Canary Islands Administration, Manuel Domínguez, has committed to expediting the implementation of projects funded by the Next Generation funding as the “primary approach” to meet the investment justifications required by Brussels before 31st December 2026.
During a parliamentary inquiry in the Regional Assembly Plenary Session, Manuel Domínguez expressed concerns over the low execution rate of these funds, noting that they “were at only 8% when we assumed office.” “In just seven months, we have increased this to 30%, and within two years, we face the challenging task of executing and validating 70% of these funds,” he stated.
“However, our main concern is not just this. It is crucial to consider that all investments need to be justified by December 31, 2026, including funds transferred from the Government to other bodies such as local councils,” added the Vice President.
Domínguez emphasized that the repayments “will accrue interest,” underscoring that in the remaining two years, “the Canary Islands Government will go to great lengths to implement the over 1,034 million still to be invested. A Treasury plan is being devised to streamline administrative processes with the goal of timely fund allocation and execution.”
The Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Islands Administration, Mariano Hernández Zapata, also addressed the implementation of these European funds related to his sector during the plenary session, highlighting an 8% execution rate and over 15,000 pending files.
“Since day one, we have been dedicated to establishing a roadmap that will help us rectify this situation in managing over 500 million euros,” expressed Minister Zapata.
Zapata outlined that this roadmap has centred on various strategies, including “assessing the actual status of the funds, conducting regular coordination meetings, reorganizing the staff allocated to the Provisional Administrative Units (UAP), and expanding the existing workforce. Simultaneously, maintaining ongoing dialogue with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, coordinating with island councils, and collaborating with municipal councils.”
Zapata stressed that these actions “constitute the fundamental aspects to expedite fund execution,” noting that “as of today, 30% of the allocated budget has already been utilized. In combination with the announced expansions across different schemes, progress is being made in the processing and validation,” he concluded.
