The Chamber of Deputies law reaches Parliament (10 years later): why is it important?

BarcelonaThe long-awaited Chambers of Commerce Act is beginning to move forward. More than ten years later, the proposed Chambers of Commerce Act, agreed upon by the 13 Catalan Chambers of Commerce, was submitted this Thursday to the Parliament of Catalonia to the main parliamentary groups that will support the approval of the text. Thus, the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), ERC (Electrical and Regional Government), Junts (Junts), and the PP (People's Party) have registered the Act, which now enters parliamentary procedure and is expected to be approved by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

autonomous region to regulate the Chambers of Commerce." Santacreu asserted, in this regard, that with this regulation, "the entire economy will benefit." But what is the Chambers of Commerce Act and why is it important?

End of a battle

The last Catalan Chamber of Commerce Act dates back to 2002 and had not yet been renewed. This act had become obsolete more than 10 years ago because a new state Chamber of Commerce Act was passed in 2014, rendering the Catalan law obsolete. However, although a new Catalan law should have been passed in 2014, the lack of consensus between the Council of Chambers of Commerce and the main economic and social stakeholders, such as employers' associations and unions, had made the text's approval impossible. Thus, Catalonia is one of the few autonomous communities without its own law.

Under the previous Barcelona Chamber of Commerce government—led by Joan Canadell and the "Teracles de País" list—the Council of Chambers of Commerce had already presented a preliminary proposal, which the social stakeholders rejected. The employers' association Pimec, primarily, criticized the text for leading to an overlap of functions between the chambers of commerce and the employers' associations, and this opposition has blocked the law in recent years. But an agreement has finally been reached. According to Santacreu, discussions have been held "with each of the parties, social and economic stakeholders, and a proposal has been agreed upon to be presented to Parliament."

Specific framework

One of the main objectives of the law is to define the scope and functions of the Catalan chambers of commerce. "The law finally states what we should be dedicated to, which is primarily an advisory function with the public and private sectors," explained Santacreu, president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

Specifically, the text recognizes the chambers as advisory, representative, and collaborative bodies with the administrations that represent, promote, and defend the general interests of commerce, industry, navigation, and services. Funding

Regarding funding, the text establishes an additional provision specifying what the chambers will receive over the next three years "for the institutional representation work carried out by the chambers and which is not currently funded": 3 million in 2026, 5 million in 2027, and 7 million in 2028. "Taking into account that there are around 100,000 companies in Catalonia, 10 euros per company," Santacreu explained.

Starting in 2029, funding for the 13 chambers must be negotiated in 4-year agreements, in which the resources they will receive may be increased or decreased. However, in the text, the Government commits to "guaranteeing the financial sufficiency of the institutional function" of the chambers.

It's worth noting that before the Spanish decree-law that eliminated the mandatory fee, Catalan chambers received €52 million in chamber fees, "which quickly went down to zero," Santacreu recalled. "Now we receive €1.5 million, and it will end up being €7 million in 2028, so things are improving," he asserted.

"This is not a law for the next four years," he affirmed. "We drafted it with a broad vision, and what we want is simply to strengthen the role of Catalan chambers. We must be a loyal and demanding partner of politics, a powerful representation of the business world," Santacreu concluded.

The meeting also included the participation of Jaume Fàbrega, president of the Girona Chamber of Commerce; Ramon Alberich, president of the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce; Jaume Saltó, president of the Lleida Chamber of Commerce; Laura Roigé, President of the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce; Silvia Gratacòs, President of the Manresa Chamber of Commerce; Pol Fages, President of the Palamós Chamber of Commerce; Mario Basora, President of the Reus Chamber of Commerce; Albert Sibils, President of the Sant Feliu de Guíxols Chamber of Commerce; Francesc Faiges, President of the Tortosa Chamber of Commerce; Josep Maria Rovira, President of the Valls Chamber of Commerce; and Jordi Rodríguez, Third Vice President of the Terrassa Chamber of Commerce. Also participating were Carme Martinell, Managing Director of the General Council of Chambers of Commerce of Catalonia; Narcís Bosch y Andreu, Deputy Director of the Consell (Consell), and Eduard Borràs, Secretary of the Consell (Consell).