The health crisis caused by the COVID-19 has completely changed the scene of the global economy, which is facing an unprecedented crisis. The disruption of international value chains, restrictions on the supply of certain activities and falling demand by the necessary steps of estrangement physical and restriction of mobility have led to an unprecedented recession in much of the world.

In parallel with the spread of the pandemic, economic activity has gone through various stages in different geographical areas and countries, with an epicenter that has shifted from Asia towards the American continent after hitting hard European countries in spring 2020.

As a result of actions of containment of the pandemic, the European economy into a deep recession in the first half of this year, the highest since the Second World War. According to estimates by the European commission, the euro zone economy has operated between 25% and 30% below capacity during the period of confinement tightened. It is expected that the PIB of the eurozone shrink 8.7% in 2020, before recovering to an annual growth rate of 6.1% next year.

In the case of Spain, the economic and social impact has been particularly intense since mid-March, owing to containment measures taken and the important weight of the most directly affected. In line with the rest of Europe, forecasts suggest an evolution in the form of asymmetric V.: after the fall of PIB 5.2% in the first quarter and 17.8% in the second, provides a gradual recovery until the end of the year to recover the path of growth in 2021.

All forecasts are marked by uncertainty. The impact of the crisis of the COVID-19 will be determined essentially for the duration and structural impact of response measures sanitaria worldwide, by the intensity of the revival of the activity and employment at the international level in the second half of 2020 and by the actual and potential growth reaching from 2021.

The negative impact of the health emergency exacerbate some of the major imbalances that slowed down the Spanish economy for decades: high unemployment structural, with special emphasis on youth; a marked labour precariousness, which delves into the strong and growing social inequalities; a high level of debt coupled with a structural problem of public deficit; a low level of investment in innovation and continuous training, low productivity of productive factors, a little attention to the environmental effects of economic activity; an industrial sector and little services adapted to new technologies and with limited integration of risks and opportunities of decarbonisation in their business strategies; an ecosystem of companies of very small size with difficulty to grow and take advantage of all the benefits of European integration and large interregional inequality gaps.

The magnitude of the challenge has demanded a common response at European level. In the short term, providing with monetary and fiscal policy a funding framework suitable for national responses, protecting the proper functioning of the common market for all firms can operate in the same conditions, and develop common protocols of safety and health. In the medium term, launching an ambitious recovery Fund and resilience, which specifies the process of rebuilding economies in the world post-COVID, starting in 2021.

The recovery Plan, transformation and resilience produced by the government is structured around FOUR transversal AXIS vertebrarán transforming the entire economy and that the government has placed from the beginning in the centre of its strategy of economic policy: the ecological transition, transformation digital, gender equality and social and territorial cohesion.

The industry is the main sector backbone of the economy and generator of social and territorial cohesion. An industrial sector developed spurs economic activity, brings more quality jobs and mitigates the impact of recessions. Therefore, the main challenge is the need to increase the weight of the industry in the national economy, to the average of the HAT and the most competitive economies of our environment, to take advantage of all the positive externalities that the industry has on a country's economy. Act on these variables would have a positive effect on structural relevant and the Spanish economy and resilience, as shown by the following data:

• According to data INE 2019, manufacturing (excluding the energy sector) represents a 12.3% of gross value added, while occupies a 10.4% of total employment in the country, which implies greater productivity than other sectors. Furthermore, remuneration represents a 12.7%, which also implies higher wages than in other sectors. This is more stable employment and higher qualifications that the other sectors of the economy.
• Contributes very positively on the balance of payments española, as it is the vast majority of goods and services exported by the Spanish economy. According To sectoral analyses made by the secretariat of state of trade of the ministry of Industry, trade and tourism, in 2019 83% of the export is directly attributable to the industrial sector, stressing equipment (20.4%), automotive sector (15.2%), chemicals (14.5%), food, drinks and tobacco (10.2%) and non-chemical semi-manufactures (10.2%).
• Is the most innovative productive sector: thus, according to data from the INE 2016, 41% of innovative companies country correspond to the manufacturing industry spending in innovation 48 per cent.

This requires a public action to boost productivity of industry and prepare for the challenges of digitalization, the ecological transition and energy efficiency.

However, the current economic scenario is not conducive to small and medium enterprises and microenterprises have access to finance needed to develop and grow, to increase its productivity, become more sustainable, efficient and innovative to compete in international markets. It Is therefore necessary within the scope of the General Secretariat of Industry and SMES, approving regulatory bases for the financing of industrial action undertaken by the manufacturing sector that allow the necessary adaptation and growing companies in an environment of transformation towards a more innovative industry, efficient and sustainable.

It is urgent support the modernisation of the industrial fabric, boosting its internationalization, the renewal of the technological capital, adapting to the ecological transition, and its digitization.

The rule aims to stimulate the competitiveness of its industry, surpassing the inertia of the past, upgrading its productive fabric, strengthen its capacity to generate employment of quality, promoting their energy efficiency and betting on the transition towards a circular economy that favours the change of habits and conscious behaviour of consumers.

This programme aims to dial plans of innovation and sustainability in key areas in industrial transition as are:

• energy efficiency decarbonisation, and new sources of sustainable energy;
• circular economy and eco-innovación, improving value chains;
• advanced materials and products;
• improvement of processes industrial quality and safety.

The standard will regulate the granting of loans and grants to plans of innovation and sustainability developed by industrial enterprises.

On 21 July reached a historic agreement in the European Council to mobilize in response to this exceptional situation €750 billion, financed by issuing debt community, which, along with the 1,074 trillions of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 address an unprecedented level of investment in the coming years.

The mobilization of an important volume of resources opens an extraordinary opportunity for our country, comparable to economic transformation processes resulting from joining the European Communities in the 1980s or the creation of the European Cohesion Fund in the middle of the 1990s. Allow not only overcoming the crisis and recovery of the job, but that will facilitate the modernisation of our economy, so that this recovery is green, digital, inclusive and social. Will be launched changes and structural reforms aimed at the transition towards a society and economy climate-neutral, sustainable, circular, respectful of the limits imposed by the natural environment and efficient in the use of resources.

Es necesario actualizar los marcos de apoyo actuales por otros que permitan una gestión adecuada de los Fondos de Recuperación y que articulen las políticas definidas en el Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.

The fundamental objective of this rule is to regulate the support for industrial companies that allows the transition to production processes more efficient and organisational, sustainable and innovative and which contribute to strengthen its competitiveness and foster the development of the industry.

This consultation aims to collect, directly or through its representative organizations, the opinion of persons and entities potentially affected by the rule is projected.

In a context of global crisis derivative of the pandemic COVID-19, it is necessary to encouraging industrial investment from all fields, in this case from the public sector, in order to channel European funds with the utmost rigour, transparency and accessibility to all companies of the national territory.

The combination of funding of non-repayable grants fair to zero interest loans are considered an optimal tool to support companies in their processes of modernization and sustainability.

Sólo serán consideradas las respuestas en las que el remitente esté identificado.

Con carácter general, las contribuciones recibidas se considerarán susceptibles de difusión pública. Las partes de la información remitida que, a juicio del interesado deban ser tratadas con carácter confidencial y en consecuencia no proceda su libre difusión, deberán ser específicamente señaladas en el propio texto de la contribución, no considerándose a estos efectos los mensajes genéricos de confidencialidad de la información.

Texto de la consulta pública previa [PDF] [76.22 KB]