Jose Luis Sanz Merino, the Mobility and Digital Transformation counselor, participated in the sectorial conference for Digital Transformation advocating for greater co-governance and updated data on fiber optic and mobile coverage.
March 21, 2025
Castilla y León | Mobility and Digital Transformation Department
Castilla y León and most autonomous communities have urged the Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Function, during the sectorial conference for Digital Transformation held at the Ministry headquarters, to allow them to allocate European funds received to projects that provide greater benefits to citizens.
Therefore, flexibility has been requested to reallocate part of the amount to more relevant initiatives within the context of each Autonomous Administration within each component. Along these lines, an extension of the execution deadline for all European digitalization funds until June 30, 2026, has been requested.
The autonomous communities have stated that various funding lines, such as connectivity, were launched by the Ministry without considering the specific needs of the regions, leading to the lack of execution of the allocated funds.
A clear example is the subsidy lines for telephone social bonds and building cabling, where autonomous communities have been requesting for over two years the extension of deadlines and the modification of the bases to increase market interest in initiatives that have had very little reception.
During the plenary session of the sectorial conference for Digital Transformation, autonomous communities have reiterated the need for greater co-governance in these investments for the benefit of citizens and to not waste a unique opportunity.
Additionally, they have also regretted not receiving more funds for projects to modernize public administrations and develop safer and more efficient digital public services, transforming the Public Administration through the use of data and emerging technologies, and improving citizen attention and territorial cooperation.
It has also been requested that autonomous communities be able to use surplus funds for digitalization projects, in case the set objectives are met in a way that rewards efficiency in the implementation of actions, as Castilla y León did with European funds allocated to digital skills training.
Sanz Merino has also urged the Ministry to update coverage reports, «since the most recent data published is from June 2023.» He emphasized that the published data «should be more up-to-date to have a clear picture of fiber optic and mobile coverage in Castilla y León.»
The autonomous communities have demanded a modification in the criteria for counting trained students from the National Plan for Digital Competences aimed at transversal digital training for citizens, proposing that each training action received by a person for more than 7.5 hours should be counted.
Another relevant point in the meeting was the discussion on the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA). Autonomous communities have requested to create an environment that promotes the positive development of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, collaborating closely with various entities, including autonomous regions, to maximize benefits for society.