SPAIN THIS WEEK

Monday, 19 October 2015

16/10/2015 Mariano Rajoy highlights EU's "firm intention" to cooperate with African Union countries At the end of the European Council and during a brief press briefing, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, recalled that Spain has always advocated cooperation with African countries with the aim of "improving their standard of living so that people can live a dignified life" in their own country. He also announced that a trust fund is being set up to help these countries.

15/10/2015 Mariano Rajoy remarks that respecting judicial rulings is a "basic obligation of any democracy" The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, before attending the European Council meeting in Brussels which was due to focus on asylum and immigration, stated that the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, "has the same obligation to follow the law as any of the other 46 million Spaniards".

13/10/2015 Mariano Rajoy stresses that Spain will meet deficit target Upon his arrival in New York, where he will take part in the UN Security Council, the President of the Government responded to the European Commission's forecasts on Spain for the coming year. He stressed that the deficit ceiling set will be met. "We are very calm because Spain has recovered economic activity".

13/10/2015 Mariano Rajoy says Spain will contribute one million euros to fighting sexual violence in armed conflict The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a renewal - promoted by Spain - of the resolution on the protection of women in armed conflict. The President of the Government said that gender inequality "is an injustice, immoral and an obstacle preventing progress by humanity".

16/10/2015 Government awards six nationwide licences for free-to-air television The new channels will begin broadcasting within a maximum term of six months. The Council of Ministers also approved the energy plan for the period 2015-2020, a round of calls for new biomass and wind power technology facilities and loans for re-industrialisation projects.

18/10/2015	​Home Affairs Ministers of Spain and France to meet in Madrid in November to assess Three-year Spain-France Action Plan to Fight Drug Trafficking
17/10/2015	Armed forces withdraw from Herat (Afghanistan)
17/10/2015	Large-scale operation by National Police Force throughout Spain against child pornography
15/10/2015	Presentation of Wind Power Industry Re-launch Plan
14/10/2015	​Prices fall 0.9% in September due to downward trends in liquid fuels and electricity
10/10/2015	Joint statement from governments of Spain, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States