In accordance with the provisions of article 26.2 of Law 50/1997, of November 27, of the Government, the public consultation is carried out prior to the preparation of the draft royal decree regulating the direct granting of subsidies in the field of industry by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, during the budgetary year 2026.

The Ministry of Industry and Tourism has jurisdiction over the development, monitoring and development of programmes and actions in the field of industrial quality and safety and the development of technical infrastructures associated with them, as well as the development and monitoring of regulatory provisions in the field of industrial quality and safety and on the approval of vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units intended for them.

Title III of Law 21/1992, of 16 July, on Industry, establishes various objectives for the promotion of industrial quality and safety, including the administrative control of compliance with the provisions on industrial safety and the strengthening and development of an infrastructure of industrial quality and safety, with the requirements established in the Regulation on Infrastructure for Industrial Quality and Safety, approved by Royal Decree 2200/1995, of 28 December.

Law 31/2022, of December 23, on General State Budgets for the year 2023, extended for 2024, for 2025 and for 2026, provides within the program 421O Quality and Industrial Safety, capital transfers to non-profit institutions in the amount of 2,625,000 euros.

The purpose of this draft royal decree is to regulate the granting of three subsidies in the circumstances provided for in article 22.2.c) of Law 38/2003, of 17 November, which justify that the most appropriate option is the direct concession for its public, social and economic interest.

The aim is to ensure the continuity of standardisation and accreditation activities, plans to check compliance with product safety conditions and activities aimed at facilitating compliance with industrial safety provisions applicable to industrial products.

Standardisation and accreditation are part of a global system to ensure the quality and safety of products on the market, to improve the information offered to consumers in relation to products and services and to ensure a transparent conformity assessment system.

Standardisation is a fundamental pillar of industrial safety regulation, improving quality, providing information and increasing safety and value for consumers.

Accreditation is also a central part of ensuring effective supervision of bodies responsible for assessing compliance with requirements laid down in both European and national regulations.

Market surveillance and industrial safety research and analysis plans are also a fundamental element of the industrial safety control system, promoting fair competition among producers and reducing the risks associated with the presence of non-compliant products on the market.

The needs that this draft royal decree intends to cover, as indicated above, are to guarantee the continuity of standardization and accreditation activities, as well as plans for market surveillance and verification of compliance with product safety conditions.

The objective of the regulation is the direct granting of three grants, on an exceptional basis and given that there are reasons of public, social and economic interest, under the provisions of article 22.2.c) of Law 38/2003, of 17 November, General Grants, in favor of the following entities: The Spanish Association for Standardization, the National Accreditation Entity and the Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Innovation

In the Spanish Association of Standardization and the National Accreditation Entity, in order to contribute to the development, in the year 2026, of activities for the empowerment and improvement of the technical infrastructure for quality and industrial safety provided in chapter II of the Regulation of the Infrastructure for Quality and Industrial Safety approved by Royal Decree 2200/1995, of 28 December.

And at the Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Innovation, in order to contribute to the development in the year 2026 of activities for market surveillance in aspects of industrial product safety, and for the enhancement of industrial safety.

The proposed regulation regulates the granting of three subsidies, provided for in the general state budgets for 2023, extended for 2024, 2025 and 2026, the public interest being accredited, in accordance with article 22.2 c) of Law 38/2003, of 17 November, General Subsidies.

Therefore, there are no alternatives to its regulation by royal decree, which is the form established by article 28 of the aforementioned Law to approve the special rules regulating the subsidies provided for.

With regard to the alternative of not approving any regulation, it would result in the impossibility of granting the subsidy in the current scenario of budgetary extension and, therefore, the absence of market surveillance and research activities on the industrial safety requirements applicable to products, in the year 2026, as well as the difficulty of maintaining the level of standardisation and accreditation activity, especially as regards the aspects of European and international standardisation and accreditation, with the impact that this entails for the national industrial fabric.

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