The Basque Government has designated the San Antonio restaurant in Iralabarri as being of social interest

The Governing Council of the Basque Government designated the San Antonio de Iralabarri Dining Association as being of social interest during its meeting on September 15, 2026, by approving Decree 150/2026. The decision was published in BOPV number 188 on October 1, 2026, in the section of the Department of Social Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenge, with official reference 2026/4073. The decree recognizes the association’s contribution to the development of social services in the Basque Autonomous Community by providing dignified lunches and dinners to homeless people in Bilbao.

Legal basis of the recognition

Law 12/2008, of December 5, on Social Services, establishes in Article 74 that non-profit organizations may be considered of social interest if they provide social services and meet the conditions specified by regulation. The purpose of this recognition is to highlight the trajectory of the Third Social Sector and its contribution to the development of social services.

The procedure is regulated by Decree 424/2013, of October 7. According to this, the designation is made via a decree approved by the Governing Council, upon the proposal of the minister competent in the field of social services, after the corresponding file has been processed. In this case, the association itself requested the recognition, taking into account its trajectory of social action.

The two articles of the decree

Decree 150/2026 contains two articles. The first designates the San Antonio de Iralabarri Dining Association as being of social interest, due to its contribution to the development of social services in the Basque Autonomous Community through social action activities. The second grants the association the rights corresponding to this recognition, as set out in Article 74 of Law 12/2008.

In the streets of Bilbao since 1987

According to information provided by the Directorate for the Promotion of the Third Social Sector and Community Action, the association was formed in 1987 and has continuously verified its activity in the Basque Autonomous Community since 2020. Its main area of operation is the historical territory of Bizkaia. The decree includes three foundational objectives:

• Providing dignified lunches and dinners to people referred by the Bilbao City Council’s “sin hogar” (homeless) program.
• Helping these people in the first steps of the social reintegration process.
• Working in a network with other social services in the city.

Decision of the Governing Council

The decree was approved by the Governing Council in its meeting on September 15, 2026, upon the proposal of Nerea Melgosa Vega, Minister of Social Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenge. The text was signed in Vitoria-Gasteiz on the same day, signed by President and Minister Imanol Pradales Gil. The process followed the path provided for in Decree 424/2013, and the minister’s department instructed the file.

What social interest designations entail

Designation of social interest does not establish direct financial aid, but it officially recognizes the organization’s activity and activates the rights linked to that recognition under Article 74 of Law 12/2008. This gives the association greater weight within the social services system and when collaborating with the third sector.

The recognition is not insignificant for Bilbao’s social reality: it is a structure that guarantees lunch and dinner daily for homeless people, coordinated with the municipal program and networked with the rest of the city’s social services. The decree, therefore, protects decades of work and strengthens the association’s mission within public social service policies.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 188, 1 de octubre de 2026, Otras Disposiciones, pp. 1-2 (official reference: 2026/4073).