Agreement for Catalan Majority in Zona Franca Consortium

PSC and ERC agree that the Generalitat and Barcelona City Council will control the economic body, advancing budget negotiations.

Generic image of a political meeting in Catalonia.
IA

Generic image of a political meeting in Catalonia.

The Generalitat and Barcelona City Council will achieve majority governance of the Zona Franca Consortium following an agreement between the PSC and Esquerra Republicana, bringing budget approval closer.

According to negotiation sources, the pact stipulates that the Catalan side will control 55% of the body, with 40% for the Generalitat and 15% for the City Council, while the State will retain the remaining 45%. Currently, the Consortium is entirely dependent on the State, which appoints the president despite Catalan institutional representation.
This agreement will be formalized in the State-Generalitat bilateral commission this Wednesday. The meeting will also address the creation of an investment company to secure state projects in Catalonia, such as the controversial orbital train, a key point that has facilitated the budgetary understanding.
For Esquerra Republicana, this change in the Consortium's governance represents a fundamental "sovereignty advance." This organization, established in 1916, holds significant weight in the Catalan economy, contributing 3.8% of the GDP and managing substantial investments in logistics, technology, and industry.
The reinforcement of the Tax Agency and the revival of the orbital train project are other concessions secured by ERC. Initially, the Republicans had demanded the collection of 100% of the IRPF, a demand they have now agreed to postpone, though not entirely abandon.
Conversely, the demands of the teaching community have been excluded from the budget negotiations. Both ERC and Comuns believe that resolving the conflict with teachers is the sole responsibility of the government led by Salvador Illa.
ERC argues that a Catalan majority in the Consortium is crucial for aligning its industrial and investment policies with the competencies of the Generalitat and the City Council, thereby avoiding duplication with bodies like Incasòl or Acció.