The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the declaration of an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, known as a catastrophic areato the territories affected by large fires in 15 autonomous communities, all except Cantabria and Asturias, among which are those suffered in Mijas last July.
In the case of Andalusia contemplates five fires that have caused damage, specifically those registered in Pinos Puente (Granada) and Bonares (Huelva), on July 25. To these are added two fires in Mijas (Málaga) on July 15 and 26and the one declared in Guillena (Seville), on the 10th.
The Government Delegation in Andalusia has indicated, through a statement, that in all cases, these fires reached such a seriousness that the affected autonomous communities were forced to activate their respective protection plans in a level 1 or 2 operational situation, as established by the General State Plan for Emergencies (Plegem).
In this sense, three people have died as consequence of these fires and dozens have suffered injuries of various kinds. The virulence of the fires has also forced the preventive evacuation of more than 27,500 people, a figure that represents an absolute record.
These fires have also generated serious environmental damage and have caused serious damage to infrastructure and in public and private goods, as well as in crops and farms, industrial estates and other production facilities, although at this time they have not yet been precisely quantified, according to the statement.
The Government has explained that, despite there is not yet a detailed balance of the damages caused by these claims and its amount, the magnitude of its effects and the measures necessary to overcome the serious disturbance of the living conditions of the population caused, to achieve the full restoration of essential public services and to restore normalcy in the affected areas justify the intervention at this time of the General State Administration.
In any case, this state action respects the principle of interterritorial solidarity and is produced on a subsidiary basisas a complement to the initiatives that, in the exercise of their powers, correspond to the territorial public administrations, both regional and municipal.
direct aid
The recovery measures provided for in this agreement, and whose execution corresponds to the Ministry of the Interior, are the aids for death or absolute and permanent disability, for a value of 18,000 euros; aid for the total destruction of the habitual residence up to a maximum amount of 15,120 euros, and aid for damages that affect the structure of the habitual residence, up to 50 percent of its technical valuation and with a limit of 10,320 euros.
A list that follows Aid for damages that do not affect the structure of the habitual residence, up to 50 percent of its technical valuation and with a limit of 5,160 euros; aid for destruction or damage to household items of primary necessity in the habitual residence, for their replacement or repair, with a limit of 2,580 euros, and aid for damage to common elements of general use of a community of owners under a horizontal property, up to 50 percent of the technical valuation carried out by the Insurance Compensation Consortium and with a limit of 9,224 euros.
Lastly, it includes aid to natural or legal persons who have made personal and property benefits the total amount of expenses and aid to the owners of industrial, commercial and service establishments, including agricultural, maritime-fishing and tourist establishments: up to 9,224 euros.
The agreement also provides for the possibility of approving an exemption from the fees of the Central Traffic Headquarters Autonomous Body for duplicate driving or driving licences, as well as loss of damaged vehicles.
Other measures
The agreement approved by the Council of Ministers provides for the adoption of other relief measuresconditioned to what is established in the ministerial orders issued by each of the different competent departments to develop them.
In this way, the different ministerial departments may declare certain areas of special action, as well as the emergency works necessary to repair the damage caused for any of these claims in state-owned infrastructures included in its scope of competence.
Likewise, the royal decree provides for the granting aid for damage to agricultural, livestock, forestry and marine aquaculture production.
Regarding tax benefits, the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration will specify the exemption in the quota of the Tax on Real Estate and the reduction in the share of the Tax on Economic Activities that corresponds to the recipients of this aid, which, as usual, will be exempt from Personal Income Tax for aid for personal injuries.
For their part, the Ministries of Labor and Social Economy and of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration may develop labor and Social Security measures such as bonuses and exemptions from Social Security contributions.
In addition, local entities will receive aid, for an amount of up to 50 percent, to projects carried out by local entities to repair infrastructure, municipal facilities and equipment.
Once a detailed report on the damage caused by these forest fires and a technical assessment of their amount is available, the Government, in collaboration with the regional and local administrations, may complete this royal decree with the adoption of other measures complementary to those adopted by the territorial administrations to which it corresponds competence in civil protection.