Soria, Cuenca, and Teruel form alliance to combat depopulation

Business organizations and provincial governments from Soria, Cuenca, and Teruel have strengthened their strategic alliance within the SSPA Network to defend the interests of sparsely populated territories. During an annual meeting in Soria, representatives coordinated actions to address upcoming challenges in 2027, particularly regarding the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034.

A primary demand of the alliance is for the Spanish government to maximize labor tax relief in rural areas, reaching the 20% limit permitted by the European Commission. In Cuenca, officials noted that existing operational aid has already generated 60 million euros in cumulative tax savings for local businesses since January 2023, benefiting nearly 4,900 employees in municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.

The group aims to secure long-term stability for rural development funds and combat demographic imbalances that prevent these provinces from growing at the same rate as the rest of Spain.