Government’s Economic Plan to be Explained in Bruges and Addressed at the Region Committee
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, begins Wednesday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaume Duch, his second trip to Brussels, which will be extended until Thursday and during which he will meet with the President of the Council, António Costa, and the Vice President of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera.
Illa, who will focus his visit to Brussels largely on the economic field, starts his trip this Wednesday morning with a conference in Bruges to explain the economic plan of the Catalan government leaders, attend various meetings, and address the plenary of the committee.
According to government sources, this second trip to Brussels is «a new demonstration of the importance of the EU in the government’s actions and the willingness to participate, influence, and present Catalonia to European institutions in collaboration with the Spanish government.»
Therefore, it is a trip more focused on approaching issues that the government considers challenging at an international level, given the arrival of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States and the risk of a «trade war.»
Economic Leadership
On Wednesday, at 10 in the morning, Illa begins his agenda in Brussels with a meeting with the Rector of the College of Europe, Federica Mogherini, and at 12:15, he will deliver the Catalonia Leadership Conference at the College of Europe in Bruges. «A Europe of common prosperity,» replicating the one he already did in Barcelona, albeit with a greater focus on Europe.
The «Catalonia Leader» plan includes an investment of 18.5 billion by 2030 for «the recovery of the Catalan economic management» and 200 measures focused on strategic sectors related to infrastructure, productive modernization, and innovation, such as increasing the capacity of the Barcelona airport or ensuring sufficient water supply.
Afterwards, at 6:00 p.m., Illa will meet with the director of the Bruegel Think Tank, Jerom Zettelmeyer, with whom he will share the government’s strategy and «address the current political and economic situation.»
Misinformation and Decarbonization
On Thursday, at 9 in the morning, Illa will participate in the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, which will begin its new mandate for the next five years and will choose its new president.
After the plenary, at ten o’clock, he will meet with the President of the European Council, António Costa, to convey that Catalonia «wants to lead the defense of democratic values» and address issues such as the Ultra-Right and Misinformation, as explained by sources.
At 1:00 p.m., Illa will discuss with the Executive Vice President for a clean, fair, and competitive transition of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera, topics such as decarbonization and electric vehicles, after the government presented the electric car boost plan 2025-2030 last week.
With this plan, the government aims to mobilize over 1.4 billion euros by 2030, both public and private, to «accelerate the implementation of electric vehicles» in Catalonia.
Committee of the Regions
Finally, Illa will participate on Thursday at 3:15.
In his first trip in November, Illa defended in the Committee of the Regions plenary the willingness of Catalonia to «get involved again» in contributions towards European construction.
He also met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, with whom he addressed the Catalan position in European institutions: «I am convinced that a rigorous and serious analysis is being done,» said the Catalan president after the meeting.