Anfaco and Conxemar unite against a common enemy. Describing yesterday’s joint statement as historic (not uncommon), both associations believe it’s time to join forces. And for nothing less. As Faro de Vigo explains in its July 8 issue, the marine industry (fish and shellfish processing companies, canning factories, purification plants…) left out PERTE Agri-food subsidized by the government and in general, your Next Generation funds.
A community regulation that defines the eligibility of aid in the internal market and excludes the fishing and aquaculture sector is guilty and therefore employers are liable. they negotiate to get an “exception” so they don’t get left behind and you will be able to enter calls. Otherwise, they warn of planned investments in terms of digitization, energy savings, reducing the environmental footprint or updating factories in general. in many cases will be paralyzed. “PERTE has a stimulating effect, and if you don’t have it, your investment approach changes, both in scope and effectiveness,” complains Roberto C. Alonso, Anfaco’s general secretary, supported by Eloy García, Conxemar’s president. Investments in an industry cannot be ignored; we don’t understand.”
Industry representatives have been aware of the problem for weeks. Anfaco was then in touch with the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. He was the second to confirm that companies in the maritime-industrial chain would not be eligible to receive assistance for new investments. only those related to R&Dthat is, programs that they already enjoy with other existing programs.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was the release at the BOE on Monday, August 1st, from Agrifood PERTE, with a budget of 500 million, of the regulatory bases that set out the requirements for the delivery of first aid. “It has been confirmed that the Spanish maritime industry sector is not eligible for the investment programme.”, criticized Anfaco and Conxemar on this issue.
The canning union and the processing and frozen industry believe there is “the need to find a legal solution to this situation” as they will be excluded from “a tractor program for the transformation and resilience of the Spanish economy”.
They then confirmed from Industry that the source of this exclusion lay in Commission Regulation 651/2014 (EU) of 17 June 2014, which defines the compatibility of aid in the internal market and excludes fisheries and aquaculture. Yesterday both associations hinted at asking for an “exception”. “Anfaco and Conxemar convey their maximum cooperation to the Spanish Administration to request an exemption from Europe that allows ex officio harmonization of aid and appropriate calls to the maritime-industrial sector can be called before the end of 2022”, summarized.
Alonso and García, who have held their posts for several weeks after taking over from former names like Juan Vieites and José Luis Freire, describe the situation as “very serious”. Understanding that this “logically leads to paralysis of investments”, Conxemar’s president explains, “We have received calls from partners because there are companies with important projects.” “No one could have imagined that,” he sums up. The general secretary of Anfaco says the same thing. “However, investment approaches are changing,” he warns, “which can be paralyzed or delayed over time.”
In this way, as with Electric Vehicle and Conectaco (PERTE VEC), Agrifood PERTE went from creating excitement after its announcement to causing concern among companies. It has an initial public investment budget of 1,000 million euros by 2023 and an additional 800 million euros. For now, the maritime industry will not see a single euro in practice.