From wild boars to immigration or the eclipse: the forty working groups created by the Government

BarcelonaWorking groups and committees, whether composed of members of the Generalitat (Catalan government) or external experts, have been one of the preferred methods of Salvador Illa's government for addressing the major issues of the legislature, from financing to housing. For example, the crisis caused by the layoffs in the Cercanías commuter rail service has led to the creation of a group to study the impact of climate change on infrastructure, with the R1 line in particular focus. Another group has also been activated to monitor the weekly performance of Renfe's (Spanish national railway company) service, now that the new head of its management is known. He will be the director of the mixed company Cercanías de Cataluña. The number of working groups established by the Government to address the crisis or reach consensus on reforms has risen to forty. These are the main ones.

Financing and ATC

The group of experts on singular financing It was one of the first to be announced, in October 2024, to finalize the investiture agreement that, a year and a half later, It materialized in an agreement with the Spanish government and ERC for new regional funding. Although the Ministry of Economy initially explained that it would make the report public once the group finished its work, the Government changed its strategy and ultimately limited itself to assuring that its recommendations had been taken into account. in the agreed proposalThe commissioner and advisory council continue their work to implement the roadmap for the Catalan Tax Agency (ATC) to increase its management capacity.

Barcelona Airport

The joint commission between the State and the Generalitat on Barcelona airport It was reactivated in the first months of the government from the PSC. This revived a commitment the Socialists had made with the ERC government for the 2023 budget, given the impossibility of reaching an agreement on an expansion that the Republicans rejected. The committee ultimately opted for what had always been the PSC and PSOE's preferred approach: extend the airport's third runway by 500 metersAlthough the project is being revised to limit its impact on Ricarda. Also on the economic front, the productivity council has 16 renowned economists advising the government on this matter. The Catalunya Lidera plan, which aimed to channel investments worth 18.5 billion over five years To enable Catalonia to overtake Madrid as an economic engine, it also has its own monitoring committee, which has yet to publicly release a report on its results.

Swine fever

The crisis caused by the outbreak of swine fever also led to a working group focused on ending the overpopulation of wild boars, to avoid health risks, but also to reduce the traffic accidents they cause and their incursions into cities. This is the Boar's Table, which will meet regularly twice a year and includes representatives from public administrations, as well as the scientific community, the primary sector, hunters, environmentalists, and local communities.

Immigration

When Junts and the PSOE made public the pact to transfer immigration powers to Catalonia, the Catalan government reacted by announcing a working group to prepare the Generalitat for the new functions it would have to assume, from more Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) at the borders to the decision of whether or not to close the CIEs (Foreigners' Detention Centers). The executive entrusted its management to the Ministry of Social Rights, with the idea of ​​avoiding associations between insecurity and immigration. Ultimately, the transfer failed due to the veto of Podemos and the right wing, but the regularization of migrants The fact that the purple party had put the negotiations on now opens a new window of opportunity. Sources within the department told ARA that the group has remained "active" during this time, albeit "at a more measured pace," with the aim of ensuring that "the Generalitat is in the best possible position to assume the responsibilities" when the political debate allows. Separately, the Department of Social Rights has convened a Committee of Experts for Social Transformation and Innovation (CETIS) to finalize its roadmap on issues such as homelessness—there are seven working groups—and two groups to design the successor to the DGAIA following the of the scandals that rocked her.

The groups of the Bilateral

From the Generalitat-State Bilateral meeting held in February 2025, no fewer than four working groups emerged: the first, to determine the amount that the State still owes for the third additional provision of the Statute, corresponding to the infrastructure investment deficitThe second is to create the investment consortium, which should address the low budget execution figures, and which ERC is also pushing for; the third is to create a one-stop shop for all administrations – a pilot program is already underway – and the fourth is to locate state-owned plots and properties of interest to the Generalitat, which has been making progress on potential transfers.

Housing

Since the end of last year, the Territory has had five active working groups within the framework of the Housing Advisory Council, studying everything from the situation of subsidized housing to market prices. To these must be added the House of Commons, the Government, and independent experts to study prohibiting speculative housing purchases, the price that Jessica Albiach's team has set for budgets this year. Furthermore, the technical working group tasked with drafting the new General Territorial Plan for Catalonia continues its "internal work" after being established in November, according to the Catalan government.

Administrative Reform

The expert commission for the transformation of the Catalan government's administration and the improvement of public services (CETRA) was one of the first to be announced, in November 2024, and also one of the first to complete its work. Its president, Carles Ramió, presented a 700-page dossier with 50 proposals that have since been translated into some reforms (for example, to eliminate the appointment either to update the conditions of the civil serviceCETRA has already finished its work, but the Advisory Council for Reform (CARE) was created in its place.

The solar eclipse

The latest group of external experts created by the Catalan government is the one that follows the National Mental Health Plan, which will meet monthly. Also noteworthy on the list are the nine interdepartmental working groups of the Generalitat (Catalan government). in anticipation of the historic solar eclipseAccording to Councilor Núria Montserrat, "The 2026 eclipse is not just an astronomical event: It's a national opportunity"This is one of those occasions that allows us to connect science with culture, knowledge with the territory, and outreach with people," he explained.