Country Profile: Spain

• Author: Naldini, Andrea; Pompili, Marco; Peruccacci, Eleonora
• Pages: 143-153

143

10.COUN TRY PROFI LE: SPAI N

10.1.Sect ion 1-National r ules for t he evaluation ofSt ate aidschemes

10.1.1.Obligat ion or lack ther eof to evaluat e

In Spain there is an obligation to monitor and assess State aidschemes, butnotto

carry outimpact evaluations of public policiesand State aid, even if this type of

evaluation is becoming a more common practice in recent years, especially for RTDI

and h ealth policy .

The Spanish syst em ofState aidcontr ol is based on an extended management contr ol

approach, which requires financial and output verifications in each granting authority

but does not require the evaluation of the socio-economic impacts of State aid

measures. Consequently, when notdifferently specified in the text, the word

“evaluation” has to be intended as monitoring of achieved financial and physical

objectives and not as im pact evalu ation.

In Spain several actors at different territorial levels (state, regional or local) advocate

an d / or p art ici pat e i n e valu at ion pr oces ses, how ev er, t her e “ is no nat ion al com m on lega l

an d a dm ini str at iv e f ram ew or k th at pr om ot es a p ubl ic c ult ur e o f eva lua tio n and im pr ov es

the efficient development of the evaluation of the results of public policies” (Genaro

Moy a and Ló pez Hernández, 2019).

In fact, t he Spanish Gov ernm ent’s prior ities are controlling, supervising and assessing

State aidschemes in order to avoid distortions and safeguard the well-functioning of

market s (Callol, Cañadas & Moy a, 2019)130.

In Spain, the legal framework for subsidies/State aidis the basic State law:Law

38/2003, of November 17th, General Law of Subsidies131and its Development

Regulat ion, Royal Decree 887/ 2006, of July 21st. However, apart from this basic St ate

law , the ev alua tio n o f St at e aid , in i ts dif fere nt ph ases, is det erm ine d b y d iffe ren t nor ms

of legal and regulatory rank, as well as the equivalent regional regulations, applicable

in the field s cor responding t o t he Regional Government s.

The General Law of Subsidies (Law 38/2003, of November 17th) establishes, for the

Public Administrations, the obligation to elaborate a strategic plan of subsidies ( PES),

indicating the objectives, effects, terms, estimated costs and funding sources, in

coherence with the objectives of budgetary stability. In fact, every Ministry in Spain

must design a 3-year Strategic State aidPlan (Plan Estr atégico de Su bvenciones, from

no w PES) an d su bm its an ann ual re por t on its im plem en ta tio n. Ther efo re, in Spa in Stat e

aidare organised through these strategic plans, which must be coordinated by other

Administrations, and be consistent with multiannual ministerial programs. The same

app lies to th e regiona l governme nts, as th ey elabor ate an d appr ove strategic su bsidies

plans132.

130Callol, P., Cañadas, M. & Moya, L., (2019).Callol, Coca & Asociados SLP. State aid-S pain.

https://gettingthedealthrough.com/area/67/jurisdiction/21/state-aid-sp ai n/

131General Subsidies Law. Ley General de Subvenciones –Ley 38/2013 of November 17th.

https://www.oficinavirtual.pap.hacienda.gob.es/sitios/oficinavirtual/es-

ES/CatalogoSistemasInformacion/TESEOnet/Documents/LGS-consolidado.pdf. In Spanish law the term

"p ublic aid" is defin ed as asynon ym for subsidies ( subvencionesin Spanish) , ev en if subsidy is a broader

conc ept of St ate aid, as st ated in the UE law.

132See for example, the case of the Balearic Islands government,

ht tp :/ / ww w.ca ib.e s/g ove rn/ sac/ fi txa .do ?codi= 3 289 478 &cod uo= 21 8&l ang= e s. In this case, the Balearic

PES speci fies the dura tion of subsid ies, the ir o bject ives and the exp ected effe cts t o ac hieve , t he de adlin es