The Catalan government has presented a draft law to protect the editorial independence of the Agència Catalana de Notícies (ACN), giving the agency its own legal structure and ending direct political oversight. Parliament is expected to approve the proposed legislation in 2027. It is designed to reinforce ACN’s role as a public news service and ensure its long-term stability. Until approval and enactment, but, the measure remains a proposal.
Founded in 1999, ACN has operated as a publicly controlled Catalan news agency. The draft would formally define its public-service mission and establish its legal status, while setting out the agency’s objectives and governance responsibilities. ACN began in Girona, with Carles Puigdemont as its founding director, and evolved from a consortium involving local institutions into a fully public company under the Generalitat. The proposed law responds to a parliamentary mandate to strengthen ACN’s institutional and editorial independence, an issue that has been under discussion for nearly a year.
A basic change would restructure ACN’s governance. Under the draft, its president would be chosen through a public competition rather than automatically serving as a government official, and would report annually to Parliament. The board would include up to six independent members, alongside two representatives appointed by the regional government. A rotating board presidency is intended to disperse influence and support pluralism. Together, the proposed appointment process and parliamentary reporting would establish formal accountability while separating the leadership role from direct government office.
ACN employs 75 staff members across its Barcelona base and regional offices, with additional operations in Madrid and Brussels. The agency is led by journalist Eva Arderius. Its reported annual public financing is €4.7 million, supplemented by about €1.5 million from subscribers, for approximately €6.2 million in combined funding. The proposed program contract would provide a multiyear financial structure, allowing ACN to plan beyond a single fiscal year. Joan Maria Morros, dean of the Catalan College of Journalists, has emphasized the importance of financial stability to ACN’s future viability. Predictable funding is also basic to the draft’s effort to support the agency’s independence while retaining public accountability.
The draft law has entered the public consultation phase, with sector organizations invited to submit feedback until mid-September. The text is also available on the Generalitat’s Transparency Portal for public comment. Consultation could shape appointment rules and board composition, as well as financing and accountability, before the proposal proceeds through the legislative process. The process is part of a broader debate in Catalonia about the relationship between politics and public institutions. The region has also moved to restrict speculative housing purchases, a measure detailed in this recent report on Catalonia’s housing market reforms.
ACN’s institutional development reflects continuing debates in Spain about public media independence and transparent governance. Created to provide news coverage in Catalan for local media outlets, the agency would receive a dedicated statutory basis for its public-service role under the proposal. The Generalitat’s open-data portal publishes budget and staffing datasets that distinguish allocations from expenditure, and authorized posts from filled positions. These records help assess the public resources and workforce behind the agency’s operations.
Public news agencies in Spain and across Europe face questions over political influence and accountability, alongside the challenge of reliable financing. The proposed structure for ACN would combine public appointments with annual reporting to Parliament, while providing for a mixed board and multiyear financial planning. The final provisions will be determined through consultation and the legislative process, with parliamentary approval expected in 2027.
