The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) has held a new edition of its annual seminar with the Autonomous Regions, focusing on the macroeconomic context, the application of national and European expenditure rules, and the final stage of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP).
AIReF President Inés Olóndriz opened the event, which took place at the institution’s headquarters. In her remarks, she stressed the importance of maintaining the seminar as an established forum for technical dialogue, institutional exchange and mutual engagement with the Autonomous Regions.
Olóndriz framed the event in the context of a period marked by major debates for General Government as a whole, including the direction of fiscal policy over the coming years, the adaptation of the national framework to the new European fiscal framework, the sustainability of public finances and the final stage of the RTRP. She also highlighted the role of the Autonomous Regions, given their weight in public expenditure, their responsibility for policies that are essential to citizens and their contribution to meeting aggregate fiscal commitments.
The event was structured around three sessions. First, Esther Gordo, Director of AIReF’s Economic Analysis Division, presented AIReF’s macroeconomic outlook against a backdrop of global uncertainty.
This was followed by a round-table discussion on the application of national and European expenditure rules, with contributions from María del Mar García Salgado, Deputy Minister for Budgets and Regional Financing of the Principality of Asturias; Arturo López Iglesias, Director-General for Budgets and Regional Financing at the Regional Government of Galicia; and Ignacio Fernández-Huertas, Director of AIReF’s Budgetary Analysis Division.
The third and final session focused on the final stage of the RTRP and the lessons learned in terms of governance, information, coordination and evaluation. Participants in this panel included Gregorio Moreno López, Director-General for Budgets of the Region of Madrid; Esther Pallarols Llinàs, Director-General for Budgets of the Government of Catalonia; and Ignacio Barquero Solanes, Director-General for Budgets of the Government of Aragon.
Through this seminar, AIReF is reaffirming its commitment to technical and institutional dialogue with the Autonomous Regions on key issues for the sustainability of public finances.
