MADRID, 24 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Report on the autonomous communities prepared by the Barcelona Public Law Observatory, which analyzes the management of regional governments during 2022, points out that there are still differences in financing between the Basque Country and the rest of the regions. , so they ask to calculate with “greater precision” the Basque quota, of which they say there is “a certain opacity.”
This is stated in the report that was presented this Friday from the Senate at the XXII Forum of Autonomies. Specifically, the text believes that the convergence of the regional system – of the Basque Country and Navarra – and that of the common regime communities is one of the problems to be corrected in the reform of the financing system.
“The burdens not assumed by the quota model must be calculated appropriately and with greater precision and extent, as well as their contribution to solidarity and compensation mechanisms with the rest of the Autonomous Communities,” notes the general assessment of the report.
In this regard, he believes that the situation of the Basque quota, which is negotiated between the State and the Government of Euskadi, is an issue “with a certain opacity and whose transparency could improve.”
Precisely, the regional financing system is one of the points covered in this report, which recognizes the difficulty of remodeling this model due to the necessary commitments between communities and political forces, “which today do not seem close.”
In this context, they point out that the delay in updating the regional financing system “lacks any justification” and, as they point out, there is a general consensus on the need and urgency of the review.
In any case, they highlight that the regional financing model approved in 2009, although expired, has shown “great resilience and capacity to adapt and function”, although extraordinary financing mechanisms have become necessary.
Another aspect that this report on the Autonomous Communities analyzes is the regional reductions in some taxes, which some regional governments have been implementing over recent times.
Specifically, the succession of the Inheritance Tax in some communities governed by the PP stands out, as well as the tax reduction of other taxes in some regions, which were carried out to combat inflation last year.
However, they believe that these tax reductions “raise questions”, pointing to a controversy that Spain receives 140,000 million euros of European funds that come from taxes from Member States of the Union, while there are some communities that are lowering taxes.
“Some speak of fiscal demagoguery and a downward spiral among the Autonomous Communities for electoral reasons,” states the general assessment of this report.
