The Deputy Minister of Finance of the Basque Government has defended the Economic Agreement as a robust model of self-government and competitiveness in a globalized world. He stated that this model has enabled the construction of internationally competitive tax systems, aimed at developing advanced economic activity and creating quality employment.

These statements were made during a round table discussion within the framework of the International Congress “500 years of the Fuero de Bizkaia and Foral Treasury (1526–2026)”, which took place in Bilbao. This forum brought together specialists for three days to analyze the historical evolution and future challenges of the Basque foral system.

The Deputy Minister highlighted the regulatory autonomy that the Economic Agreement grants to Basque institutions, both for designing the tax systems of each Historical Territory and for establishing a specific legal regime for the Foral Treasuries. He indicated that this capacity has been key to shaping an effective fiscal model adapted to the economic and social needs of Euskadi.

He also emphasized that this model has made it possible to have accessible, transparent, and efficient Foral Treasuries, committed to legal certainty and regulatory stability, which are essential factors for generating trust among citizens and businesses.

In this context, the Deputy Minister recalled that fiscal competitiveness must always be accompanied by responsibility and stability. “Legal certainty and stability are now as important assets as regulatory capacity, especially in an increasingly complex global economic environment,” he stressed.

A significant part of his speech was dedicated to analyzing the role of the Economic Agreement in the current scenario of globalization and international fiscal coordination. In this regard, he defended the importance of coordination with autonomous regulatory capacity in key tax figures, such as the Complementary Tax, the Tax on the Margin of Interest and Commissions of certain financial entities, and full regulatory autonomy in the Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR).

The Deputy Minister underscored the need to disseminate, socialize, and internationalize the Economic Agreement as a guarantee of Basque forality. In his opinion, the Agreement should not be perceived merely as a technical financing mechanism, but as an expression of self-government and fiscal co-responsibility.

This reflection is supported by the results of a study conducted by the Sociological Prospecting Cabinet, presented last March in Bilbao, on the social perception of the Economic Agreement in Euskadi. The study shows that 60% of the Basque population has heard of the Economic Agreement, and within that group, only 40% claim to know it well, highlighting the need for further dissemination.

Nevertheless, the data reflect a very positive social valuation: 90% of citizens associate it with self-management and self-government, 87% with economic development and stability, and 85% with well-being and quality of life in Euskadi. “These data confirm that the Economic Agreement is perceived as one of the pillars of our welfare model, although we have room to improve its knowledge and understanding,” stated the Deputy Minister.

The Deputy Minister concluded his participation by emphasizing the importance of initiatives like this international congress, which contribute to strengthening the knowledge, prestige, and projection of the foral system. He argued that the combination of autonomy, co-responsibility, and openness to the world remains the best guarantee for the future of the Economic Agreement.

The congress was organized by the Ituna Center for Documentation and Research of the Economic Agreement and Foral Treasuries (EHU), the Institute of Historical Law of Vasconia (EHU), and the Chair of the Economic Agreement (EHU), to commemorate the fifth centenary of the Fuero de Bizkaia. The sessions took place at Bizkaia Aretoa – UPV/EHU.