Asturias Government Approves ‘Simplify Law’ to Streamline Administrative Procedures

The Government of Asturias has approved today a key legal reform in its strategy to advance administrative speed by applying the maxim of simplifying is advancing. This initiative aims to achieve a triple objective: reduce, facilitate, and expedite administrative procedures. That is why it has been named the Simplify Law, which aims for a great objective: «less paperwork, more solutions,» as summarized by the vice president, Gimena Llamedo. The text will be sent to the General Assembly in the coming days to begin the parliamentary process.

«President Barbón set reducing bureaucracy and promoting a more agile, efficient, and simple model of public administration and government as one of the strategic goals of the government to provide useful responses to the Asturias of the 21st century,» recalled Llamedo. With this objective, the Simplify Law focuses on administrative agility, reducing paperwork, and saving time for citizens. This is crucial for the government: public administration must be able to do more in less time and take advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies. «In the coming months, we will present new initiatives in that direction,» added the vice president. «A good part of the procedures are regulated in state laws or European legislation, but we are taking advantage of all the opportunities that the autonomous community has,» she added.

This reform has been the result of dialogue and agreement, work with experts, and also negotiation with employers and trade unions. «Governing is about listening, seeking agreements and consensus, and that is what the Barbón government does 365 days a year,» Llamedo emphasized.

The Simplify Law affects the Law of Legal Regime and Measures of Administrative Simplification (Law 2/1995). It is a structural transformation aimed at providing more effective responses, aiming to move towards a 21st-century administration: intelligent, digital, and empathetic.

«The Government of Asturias is clear that its obligation is to provide solutions to solve problems, offer proposals to address the challenges of Asturias as a land of opportunities. Today we take another step in the right direction,» Llamedo elaborated.

Some examples of what the Simplify Law entails:

• Request for assistance 365 days a year. Public assistance can be requested and granted throughout the year to reach the recipients more quickly. This will allow each person to request assistance when the need arises and the Administration to respond promptly to requests.

• Small works that will not require permission. Some small works on road margins or forest clearings can be carried out without waiting for a permit, through a responsible declaration.

• Digital administration that reduces paperwork. The «one-time only» principle is reinforced: people will not have to submit the same documentation several times, even if the process goes through different departments. Furthermore, with the imminent launch of the new MiPrincipado platform – an evolution of the traditional electronic headquarters – citizens and companies will have unique folders where they can manage their data, check the status of their procedures, change their bank account, or prove a new personal situation. All this with autonomy and fewer complications.

• More digitization and more security. The Principality will advance in the automation of procedures and the use of artificial intelligence, but with guarantees: there will always be human supervision and mechanisms to ensure transparency and the proper use of these tools.

• Fewer barriers, more facilities. The figure of authorized agents is regulated, professionals such as managers or social workers who can carry out procedures on behalf of other people. This measure is particularly important for rural areas or groups with fewer digital skills.

• Rewarding responsibility. Similar to traffic fines, those who acknowledge a mistake and voluntarily pay can see a sanction reduced by up to 50%. This measure is intended to expedite processes and avoid lengthy administrative battles.

• Simplifying is advancing. The Administration is also being reorganized: competencies are being redistributed to avoid bottlenecks, and planning regulatory systems are being improved, offering greater transparency and predictability of legislative agendas. A single contract register will also be created to facilitate the monitoring of all information related to public procurement, from the moment a contract is signed to whether it is modified or extended, which will deepen a faster and quality service.

• Protecting and harnessing rural heritage to build the future. The reform includes measures to provide new, compatible, and respectful uses for granaries, breadboxes, and storage sheds. This way, traditional constructions are preserved, while also promoting their tourist or social use.

This change is part of a broad range of legislative initiatives started in the previous legislature to streamline the functioning of the Administration, including the Law of Urgent Administrative Measures (2021), the modification of the Cultural Heritage Law (2021), the Environmental Quality Law (2023), the Public Employment Law (2023). In this mandate, the Law of Regional Strategic Interest Projects (2024) has been approved to expedite investments. The Finance Law, scheduled for this year, will further deepen this path.

Improvement of port infrastructures

The Government of Asturias is increasing the investment in the port of Llastres (Colunga) to 4.5 million to strengthen protection against waves. For this purpose, the Government has authorized a budget of 1,572,787 euros, in addition to the funds already planned for the action, which consists of recharging blocks in the port infrastructure to ensure stability and safety.

The initial project, approved in March 2021, aimed primarily at recharging blocks in the dock to address erosion and the effects of marine storms, which had reduced the stability of its structure. However, the extreme storms of 2023 revealed the need to introduce technical modifications to adapt the project to the new conditions.

Thus, the change includes the construction of an external temporary esplanade, supported on a granular fill, a revetment toe, and a reinforced concrete slab, to distribute loads more efficiently. This solution ensures that the block recharge is carried out without compromising the stability of the dock or overloading its structure. In this way, the port of Llastres will not only improve its resistance to waves but will also ensure its long-term functionality, protecting both the infrastructure and the port activities in the area.

More affordable housing

The Government has given the green light to a budget of 4,929,642 euros for the joint contracting of the project drafting and the construction of an energy-efficient building that will house 24 publicly promoted housing units for affordable rent on Ramonina del Río street in Grau/Grado. The building will also include storage rooms, garages, and a commercial space.

The project will be funded with Next Generation European funds from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, and the budget will be divided into two annual installments: 3,584,053 euros for this year and 1,345,589 for the next. The budget for this year includes the 156,719 euros allocated to the project drafting.

The Government of the Principality, through the Ministry of Land Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and Citizens’ Rights, plans to tender 400 new public housing units in 2025, in addition to the 600 from last year.

Establishment of the IES Margarita Salas in Oviedo/Uviéu

The Government has authorized the creation of the Margarita Salas Secondary Education Institute (IES), located in the Ovetense neighborhood of La Corredoria. The center will open in September with the four courses of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and the two of Baccalaureate, incorporating the HabLE+ program for teaching foreign languages.

As an exception, Education has decided to start with all educational stages – instead of introducing them progressively – due to the existing space constraints in the current neighborhood institute. The center will have 22 units – 16 of Secondary and 6 of Baccalaureate – although the forecast is to open with 4 of Baccalaureate.

The IES Margarita Salas will be the reference center for students enrolled in the public schools La Corredoria, Poeta Ángel González, and Carmen Ruiz Tilve. 1st-year ESO students will enter through the ordinary admission procedure, while students from the other courses can choose between the two neighborhood institutes. Subsequently, if there are imbalances between supply and demand for places, a draw will be held course by course to fill the available units in each institute. In the first year of the center’s activity, up to 520 students can enroll.

The new educational equipment was awarded 17.28 million and is funded with resources from the European Regional Development Fund (Feder). The works are almost 95% complete. At the same time, the ministry is finalizing contracts to acquire general furniture and equip the auditorium and laboratories. The planned investment will exceed 565,000 euros.

Support for high-level sports

The Government has authorized an expenditure of one million euros for the call for grants for sports clubs participating in high-level competitions in the 2024-2025 season. As a novelty, for the first time, adapted swimming and bowling have been included among the disciplines that can receive funding. The budget for this grant line remains stable, after being increased by 550,000 euros compared to 2023 last year to fulfill the commitment made by the Principality to sports entities.

The grants are aimed at clubs in athletics, badminton, basketball, wheelchair basketball, handball, baseball/softball, bowling, American football, futsal, gymnastics (artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics), adapted swimming, skating (roller hockey and speed skating), canoeing, rugby, table tennis, triathlon (triathlon and duathlon), and volleyball. Last year, 54 clubs received financial support to promote sports practice.

The decision of the Government Council adds to another adopted in the sports field on March 20: the approval of a budget of 1,045,738 euros for the call for grants to federations, representing a 48% increase over last year.