Spanish Budget for 2011 allocates 1,313 million euros less to Catalan infrastructures than in 2010

Madrid (ACN).- The Spanish infrastructure budget for Catalonia -3,134 million euros- corresponds to the Catalan economy’s proportion in the Spanish GDP, 18.6%. Of this quantity, 2,185 million correspond to the Spanish Public Works Ministry, with 1,500 million of those allotted for railways. However, despite having reduced the public expenditure, Catalonia is receiving 30% less than the average for the rest of the Autonomous Communities. According to the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), the ruling party in Catalonia that is federated to the ruling Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), the quantity respects the Catalan Statute of Autonomy. The Catalan top law guarantees a minimum investment that the Spanish State must make each year in Catalan infrastructures until 2014.

The details of the investments are:

- 320 million euros not assigned to any specific public work and to be decided on in the bilateral commission between the Spanish and Catalan Governments;

- 72 million to reduce highway toll fees;

- 967 million for the High-Speed train line from Barcelona to the French border;

- 534 million for other works related to railways, such as 16.5 for the Barcelona Sagrera train station, 31.9 for the Mediterranean railway and 20.8 for the Papiol-Mollet train line;

- 197 million to harbours, from which 136.3 will go to the Barcelona port and 56.6 to Tarragona;

- 335 million to road infrastructures with 49.8 million going to the A-27 and 19.4 to the A-2 highway and 20.7 million going to the connection between the Reus airport and Tarragona;

- 151.6 for the airport, from which 128 will go to Barcelona El Prat, 11.2 to Reus and 8.7 to Girona;

- 244 million for environmental and water infrastructures.