Own Consumption
The Bureau of Congress has approved with the support of PP and Ciudadanos the veto of the Government to the proposed electricity self-consumption law that, among other things, seeks to eliminate the so-called tax on Salt, despite the fact that Albert Rivera's party had supported this measure with the rest of the opposition.
The Executive vetoed the processing of this bill on the grounds that its approval would mean a decline in the collection of 162 million euros, a possibility included in article 134.6 of the Constitution, for the VAT that self-consumers would stop paying by reducing their energy expenditure from the electricity grid. The only hope of the promoters of the new norm was that the Board of Congress would lift the veto. But Ciudadanos has allied itself with the PP and has not done so. This supposes postponing without date the debate on the matter.
Citizens have justified its support for the veto of the Executive claiming that the Constitution attributes to the Government the ability to veto initiatives that involve a modification in the budgets, as pointed out by the orange deputy Ignacio Prendes, first vice president of the Board of Congress. Prendes has explained that they are not in favor of skipping what is established in the Constitution and thus delve further into the clash between the Executive and the legislature, on which the Constitutional Court is still pending.
In the same way, her party colleague, Deputy Melisa Rodríguez, has expressed herself when asked about this question: “Article 134.6 allows the Government to veto any bill that has a budgetary impact”, Has justified. However, he has clarified that in the meeting of the Table "the veto has not been voted".
Despite voting jointly with the governing party, both Rivera and the rest of the deputies of his formation have criticized this veto, since, with it, the Popular they breach another of the points of the investiture agreement. Specifically, point 20, in relation to sun tax (self-consumption), signed last August. "One cannot break his word and the PP signed self-consumption in its pact with Citizens last August," Rodríguez denounced, who has also criticized that neither we can nor PSOE They “raised their voices” to lift the veto when the orange formation presented its law in September.
Ciudadanos has already requested a meeting with the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Álvaro Nadal, to “unravel the situation ”and comply with the investiture pact, taking into account that this measure was also included in it. For his part, the PP spokesman in Congress, Rafael Hernando, justified the new government veto today, claiming that this bill does not clarify where the necessary resources will come from to cover this increase in spending.
It does not alter the 2017 Budgets, according to the PSOE
The socialist group, for its part, had presented a letter asking the Board to reject the Government's veto, claiming that the measures contemplated in the project do not imply an alteration in the 2017 Budgets, but in those of 2018. From En Comú Podem, Deputy Josep Vendrell has considered that the Government's veto is “totally arbitrary, abusive and with a totally false argument”. "It is abusive because we carry 23 laws and it is evident that the PP with the complicity of Citizens he wants to leave Congress bound hand and foot. In addition, it is not legally supported, it is not in accordance with the law because it does not imply any alteration of the current budget ”, he stressed.
According to Vendrell, the jurisprudence of the TC makes clear that when it speaks of alteration of the budget, it is the "current one", and this bill envisaged to enter into force in the next budget year. "In addition, we have a government enemy of renewables and self-consumption" and "Friend of nuclear and oligopolyThis is the real problem, "he emphasized after criticizing that C's supported this proposal to" take the photo "and now" ally with the Government to veto it. "
