"The Catalan Government is studying what should be the future model of the Catalan roads and how maintenance should be done, but for the moment it is ruled out to apply any payment system that forces only the people from Catalonia to pay for the maintenance while in the Spanish State they circulate free of charge". This was stated by the Government spokesperson Patricia Plaja, after the end of the freeway tolls today. The spokesperson appeared at the end of the first meeting of the Executive Council that resumes the political course after the summer recess.

The spokesperson stressed that "Catalans have paid too much money for too long to move around Catalonia. It shows once again the aggravation and systematic mistreatment of the Spanish State in terms of infrastructure towards Catalonia”. Plaja added that "it cannot be that systems such as the vignette only apply to Catalonia and that the debate on the maintenance is generated only when tolls are released in our country. What now has to be decided must be done jointly and without generating new grievances towards Catalonia”. At the moment, Plaja has reported that the Government will assume with the budget of the Catalan Government the maintenance of the expressways, despite the fact that "the maintenance should be borne by the Spanish State, which accumulates a shameful historical deficit".

In this sense, coinciding with the end of the tolls, the Catalan Government has awarded the maintenance of the sections of the C-32 and C-33, owned by the Catalan Government. The contract involves an investment of 8.4 million euros until March. This contract includes the surveillance, conservation and programming, monitoring and control of 130 kilometers of the network, corresponding to the C-32, Montgat-Mataró-Palafolls and the C-33, Barcelona-Montmeló, as well as the connections with the N-II road, and several connecting branches of the C-32.

On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Government explained that the President of the Catalan Government, Pere Aragonès, has made a review of these first 100 days of legislature in the meeting of the Executive Council. Plaja pointed out that "they have served to lay the foundations for the new stage of resumption and transformation that has already begun. We are laying the foundations for the future and preparing the country for the 4 transformations: social, green, feminist and democratic". Likewise, she remarked that "the institutions have been able to fully recover their voice after many months of interim and provisionality caused by the interference of the Spanish justice system, which culminated, among other actions, with the disqualification of President Torra".

The Gold Medal of the Catalan Government

The Executive Council has approved this morning the decrees by which the Gold Medal of the Catalan Government is awarded to Arcadi Oliveres, posthumously, "for his outstanding civic, academic and social career", and to Josefina Castellví, "for her outstanding career as oceanographer, biologist, scientific researcher and writer", as informed the spokesperson of the Government. The award will be presented on September 9^th , as part of the commemoration of the National Day of Catalonia.

Patricia Plaja explained that with the awarding of the Gold Medal to Arcadi Oliveres the Catalan Government "wants to honor one of the most beloved social references of contemporary Catalonia". And with the distinction to Josefina Castellví "wants to honor one of the pioneers of scientific research in Catalonia" who, "with her career and talent, has paved the way for many women scientists, which -together with her prestige and international projection- place her as a true reference for new generations of scientists".

The Gold Medal of the Catalan Government is the highest honorary distinction awarded by the Executive. Last year, awarded the teacher and pedagogue Teresa Codina and the singer-songwriter Lluís Llach.

Interdepartmental Commission on Afghanistan

In addition, the Government has given the green light to the creation of the Interdepartmental Commission on Afghanistan to accelerate the response to asylum seekers. The aim is to develop a joint strategy and coordinate all the actions of the Departments regarding the human rights crisis in Afghanistan. The spokesperson Plaja stressed that "the Government reaffirms its commitment to welcome people from Afghanistan who need political asylum or who want to be reunited with their families who are in Catalonia".

The interdepartmental commission, which meets every week and has been created at the proposal of the Department of the Presidency, is formed by this Department and the Departments of Equality and Feminisms, External Action and Open Government and Social Rights. In addition to coordinating all the actions carried out by the different Departments, the Commission will monitor the actions that arise in order to identify the necessary actions and the responsibilities and competences of each Department.

Strengthening the autonomy of persons with disabilities

The Executive Council has also approved a decree law to reinforce the rights and autonomy of persons with disabilities. From now on, people with any disability will be able to ask the judge or notary to appoint them an assistant, a person who will be in charge of helping them to carry out acts that they cannot do by themselves, such as expressing themselves, signing, deciding, buying or selling. "With this Decree Law, the Government adapts the Catalan regulations to the New York Convention, a model of disability based on the rights, dignity and autonomy of the person and, especially, their will and preferences", explained spokesperson Plaja.

Assistance is a support measure provided in the Book II of the Catalan Civil Code. The Decree Law approved in details and expands the scope to adapt to the multiple situations that people with varying degrees of disability must face. In this sense, Plaja has pointed out that "while the guardianship until now allowed the guardian to replace the person in making decisions, the figure of the assistant is designed and adapted , and must take into account the will and tastes of the disabled person”. The support can range from the interpretation of legal texts for those who suffer from dyslexia, to the management of any aspect of the life of a person with a severe intellectual disability, such as a person with an advanced diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Agenda for the week

The spokesperson Plaja informed that this Saturday there will be a working day in which all the members of the Government, the president, the vice-president and all the councilors and councilors, as well as the general secretaries, will participate in the Vall d'en Bas, as it was included in the agreements of the Government. "The day will serve to focus the political course that starts today and for each department to share with the rest what will be the priorities, the main lines and the strengths of the ministries", she said.