— The Regional Minister for Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, inaugurated a new edition of the ‘Encontros Virtuais Xunta-EU’, moderated by the Director of the Galicia Europa Foundation office in Brussels, Ana Ramos

— Carlos Maravall, EU Secretary of the Specialized Energy Committee of the European Commission, and Pablo Vila, Director General for Energy Planning and Mines of the Xunta de Galicia, reflected about decarbonization

Brussels, April 30, 2025. The Regional Minister for Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, inaugurated a new edition of the ‘Encontros Virtuais Xunta-EU’ a forum for dialogue between the Galician government and European institutions. Carlos Maravall, EU Secretary of the Specialized Energy Committee of the European Commission, and Pablo Fernández Vila, Director General for Energy Planning and Mines of the Xunta de Galicia, analyzed the Clean Industrial Deal — a set of measures aimed at making decarbonization not just an environmental obligation, but a true engine for growth. The session was moderated by Ana Ramos, director of the Galicia Europe Foundation (FGE) office in Brussels.

In her remarks, María Jesús Lorenzana emphasized that in a region like Galicia — where industry accounts for over 16% of GDP, a figure above the national average, and sectors such as textiles, shipbuilding, and automotive play a strategic role — this European initiative cannot go unnoticed. From the European Commission, Carlos Maravall helped clarify the goals and scope of the plan, while Pablo Fernández Vila shared the Galician government’s vision and priorities in this area, as well as the challenges and opportunities this new European framework presents for Galicia’s productive sector.

For her part, Ana Ramos underscored the need to adapt Galicia’s productive structures to climate neutrality goals without sacrificing competitiveness or employment. This, she explained, represents a challenge that must be addressed through institutional collaboration and long-term vision. The coordination between EU priorities and regional development strategies, she added, is more necessary than ever.

Context

Around 700 representatives of the Xunta have participated in nearly 50 sessions of the ‘Xunta-EU Virtual Meetings’ held since 2020. The Galicia Europe Foundation launched this initiative during the pandemic to inform stakeholders about the EU’s response and the design of the 2021–2027 programming period. It has since evolved into a monthly forum to discuss the most relevant EU agenda topics for Galicia.