Bill would tighten state control over Spain's foreign action

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would amend eleven articles of Law 2/2014 on State Foreign Action and add a new one, 12 bis, while repealing several additional provisions that had already served their purpose.
2. Foreign activities of the Autonomous Communities, Autonomous Cities and local government entities could not harm the image of Spain as a social and democratic state governed by the rule of law, its institutions, the Constitution or constitutional values.
3. Autonomous Communities and Cities would have to notify the central government before opening foreign promotion offices. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues two unfavorable reports, the office could not be created. A new article would also let the State demand the closure of offices that invade State powers, and ask courts for an immediate halt to their activity.
4. Autonomous Communities would have to give the State more information about their foreign activities and about the public entities that depend on them, to improve coordination.
5. Foreign action on justice would always include defending judicial independence and the Spanish justice system, and foreign action on home affairs would include promoting the image of the State's law enforcement agencies.
6. The Foreign Action Strategy would be approved by the Council of Ministers with a four-year term, sent to the Cortes Generales before approval, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs would appear at least once a year in each chamber to report on its implementation. Promoting Spain's image would take into account defense of the Constitution and the unity of Spain.

Who it affects

• Autonomous Communities and Autonomous Cities: They would have to notify the government before opening offices abroad, provide more information about their activities, and could be forced to close offices that invade State powers.
• Local government entities: Their foreign activities would have to follow the law's principles and the central government's foreign policy guidelines.
• The Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Their power to coordinate, report on and, where needed, force the closure of regional offices abroad would be strengthened.
• Public sector entities linked to public administrations: They would have to report on their foreign activities and act according to the government's guidelines.

Words worth knowing

Acción Exterior del Estado (State Foreign Action)

The set of activities that the Spanish State and other public administrations carry out abroad.

Requerimiento entre administraciones (inter-administration demand)

A formal request from one public administration to another to correct or stop an action.

Jurisdicción contencioso-administrativa (administrative law courts)

The courts that resolve disputes involving public administrations.

Medida cautelar (interim measure)

An urgent court order to prevent harm while the dispute is being resolved, such as immediately halting an activity.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries