The third vice-president and minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, has indicated that, within the fiscal package that the Government is preparing to cushion the impact of the crisis derived from the conflict in Iran, a reduction in the VAT on electricity is being re-evaluated, just as was already done during the previous energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
After a meeting with the president of the Royal Elcano Institute, José Juan Ruiz, and his team, Aagesen explained to the media that the Executive continues working "tirelessly" on an "integral response plan" against the crisis, that is "solvent, conjunctural, structural" and that achieves the greatest possible support.
He stressed that the intention is that this set of measures "can reach as soon as possible all the productive fabric, all citizens, households and the different sectors that are being most affected" by the current situation.
Along these lines, the head of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge also considered "fundamental" that the plan that is finally presented has the greatest consensus".
Without offering many more details, the minister pointed out that that "skeleton" of the plan of measures that yesterday was presented to the social agents and on which the Executive is working will include tools of a fiscal nature.
In this context, he insisted that the Government is "constantly monitoring the situation" to adjust its decisions to the real effect of the rising cost of energy markets.
Priority for the most affected professional sectors
Aagesen remarked that, in a first stage, the Executive has focused its attention on the "most affected" professionals, especially transporters, agriculture, fishing and logistics, having detected "that impact already" in their activity.
Nevertheless, he admitted that the rise in fuel prices is also being passed on to the population as a whole. "Therefore, we will react with a package of measures that is solvent, conjunctural and structural".
As he detailed, the plan to address the crisis derived from the tension in the Middle East will be articulated in "four main pillars": conjunctural measures; a block of social shield and protection for the most vulnerable groups and professionals; other actions of "broader fiscal scope" and, finally, anti-fraud measures, which will be complemented by structural reforms.
Likewise, the third vice president defended the importance of continuing "deepening energy sovereignty" and the work started in 2018 to accelerate the deployment of renewable energies.
At the same time, he launched a message of caution about possible additional fuel price increases, recalling that the current evolution of the markets does not reproduce the scenario experienced with the invasion of Ukraine. "What we saw in the Ukraine war were 120 days of crude oil prices above 100 dollars a barrel, and that has not happened at this moment," he said.
Reinforcement of surveillance on fuels
Aagesen added that the Government has asked the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) to intensify control over fuel prices at service stations given the increase in market volatility, without, for now, abuses having been detected.
"Those more than 12,600 gas stations are being constantly monitored and what they are going to do is on a weekly basis issue a report, which before was on a monthly basis, and they will be attentive to any abusive practice. For the moment they have not informed us of the evidence of any of them", he pointed out.
Even so, he/she warned that, depending on how the escalation evolves and on the context at each moment, the action plan may intensify. "But what we also hope is that what we are going to see is a de-escalation. A decrease in that intensity and that conflict. That is what we hope," he/she asserted.
Renewables as axis facing the nuclear debate
In relation to the open debate in Germany about the closure of its nuclear power plants, Aagesen reiterated that Spain will maintain its roadmap based on renewable energies.
"We have a clear bet, a firm bet, a winning bet that has been shown that that is what gives us energy independence, autonomy, a more competitive, cheaper indigenous energy, which are renewable energies," he said.
He stressed that, in a context of strong price volatility, Spain is in a better position than other European countries thanks to that commitment to "green" technologies.
Likewise, he recalled that the calendar for the closure of nuclear power plants was designed "under a calendar set by the energy companies themselves." "Throughout all these years I can assure you that what these energy companies are doing is investing in renewables, in renewable generation, in a commitment to storage, in a commitment to renewable hydrogen, precisely because that is where we have something to gain in our country," he stated.