The Government counts on its partners to validate the energy saving decree in Congress

The PNV will vote in favor, and ERC and Bildu will not oppose a plan that PP, Vox and Ciudadanos will reject

MADRID, 24 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Plenary Session of Congress will validate the energy saving decree law this Thursday, since the Government has its investiture and Budget partners to overcome the announced rejection of the PP, Vox and Ciudadanos.

Despite reaching its week of processing without tied support, the Executive has already confirmed the favorable vote of the PNV, Más País-Equo, Compromís and the PRC, and has guarantees that Esquerra Republicana and EH-Bildu will not oppose its validation, although they have not cleared their position by subordinating it to the negotiation they maintain with the Government.

Both pro-independence formations trust in the processing of the decree as a bill to propose changes through amendments, and demand that the Government convert some of the temporary measures contemplated in the plan into structural ones.

PP AND Cs SUPPORT THE AID BUT NOT THE SAVING MEASURES

Who the Government will not be able to count on is the PP, Vox and Ciudadanos, who have already advanced their vote against despite recognizing several of the measures as positive, at least PP and Cs, particularly with regard to transport aid railway and scholarships for study.

In fact, both formations have urged the Executive to approve them separately in a new decree law if the one in force does not pass its parliamentary examination, leaving aside energy efficiency measures.

From the PP they came to describe as "frivolous" the measures aimed at reducing energy consumption with less air conditioning and the control of lighting in shops, to later demand prior negotiation with shops and communities, and limit the measures to recommendations and not "impositions".

Approved on August 1, the decree law includes the first package of energy saving measures planned to comply with the voluntary reduction in gas consumption, given the risk of a supply cut by Russia, as well as aid for the promotion of public transport such as free Cercanías, Rodalíes and Media Distancia services from September 1 to the end of the year.

This measure complements the initial discount of 50% for all transport services managed by the General State Administration and the state public sector, and 30% for the rest of public transport services, discounts already approved in previous decrees in response to the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

On the other hand, the energy saving plan limits heating and cooling temperatures to 19 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively, in public administration buildings, commercial establishments such as department stores or shopping centres, cultural spaces or transport infrastructure such as stations or airports. The norm excludes hospitals, educational centers, gyms, hairdressers or restaurant kitchens.

Likewise, it is forced to turn off the lights of shop windows and unoccupied public buildings from 10:00 p.m. and it is forced that before September 30 both buildings and premises have automatic closures in the access doors to prevent them from being permanently open. .

Commercial spaces, public buildings, cultural spaces and hotels that fail to comply with the energy saving and efficiency plan approved by the Government will face fines of up to 60,000 euros for minor infractions, up to six million euros for serious infractions and up to 100 million euros for the very serious.

The same decree law also contains new calls for aid for land transport of goods, speeds up renewable energy and storage facilities and contemplates the complementary scholarship of 100 euros for anyone who receives scholarships and study aid announced by the President of the Government in the latest State of the Union Debate.