©Reuters. Spain’s new Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, reacts during the exchange ceremony at the Ministry of Economy in Madrid, Spain, December 29, 2023. REUTERS/Ana Beltran/File Photo
MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish government’s decision not to send the already delayed 2024 budget bill to Parliament should have no impact on the disbursement of European Union recovery funds in the country, he said Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo on Thursday.
Spain renewed last year’s spending plan after the new budget was delayed by inconclusive elections last July and four months of talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to renew his mandate.
“The extended budget (2023) has sufficient space to implement the investments and commitments set out in the recovery plan itself,” Cuerpo said at a press conference together with European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni in Madrid.
Cuerpo said there would be “no brakes” or “constraints” on the implementation of the plan.
The government decided on Wednesday not to present this year’s budget bill and instead focus on next year’s spending plan, after the Catalonia region called early elections that could throw government support in disarray parliament.
Spain is a major recipient of EU recovery funds, with a total of 163 billion euros ($178 billion) allocated to the country, around half in grants and the rest in loans. It has already received 37 billion euros.
($1 = 0.9171 euros)