The Consell de Garanties Estatutàries (CGE) has endorsed Catalonia’s new law on business chambers, including the contentious “sillas de plata” provision. Under the measure, companies that make higher voluntary financial contributions can secure reserved seats on chamber boards. The council issued its decision Tuesday, following a challenge by Comuns and CUP. They argued the law could tilt chamber governance toward larger businesses and undermine equal representation.
The CGE’s report concludes that allocating board seats based on voluntary economic contributions violates neither the Estatut d’Autonomia nor the Spanish Constitution. The council says the law preserves democratic principles in the chambers’ organization and operations. It also approves three types of candidacies: those elected by general vote; those proposed by business organizations and chosen by existing board members; and those reserved for companies making the highest voluntary contributions. The council says this last category serves the legitimate aim of ensuring the chambers’ financial sustainability.
Comuns and CUP argued that higher financial contributions do not mean greater representativeness or a stronger ability to defend the broader business community’s interests. They also warned that the measure could upset the balance of social dialogue by favoring business interests. The CGE found no constitutional or statutory grounds to block the “sillas de plata” or other parts of the law.
The CGE also endorsed provisions allowing chambers to participate in public and public-private administrative bodies, along with their involvement in vocational training. Opposition groups had questioned these provisions as well. The law recognizes the chambers as consultative and collaborative bodies representing, promoting, and defending the general interests of commerce, industry, navigation, and services in Catalonia. As public-law corporative bodies, the chambers hold an institutional role distinct from that of a private business association.
The legislative initiative, backed by PSC-Units, Junts, ERC, and PP, remains under debate in the Catalan Parliament. Supporters say the law will strengthen the chambers’ role in supporting Catalan businesses, particularly through new chamber plans designed to encourage collaboration with public administrations. Debate over economic power in public institutions reaches beyond Catalonia. Similar concerns have surfaced in other regions and sectors, including recent discussions about surveillance and public safety in Barcelona, where the expansion of security cameras has also sparked debate over governance and accountability.
Chambers of commerce in Spain have traditionally represented business interests and fostered dialogue between the private sector and government. The new law’s approach to funding and governance reflects efforts to adapt these institutions to changing economic realities. The CGE’s endorsement removes a major legal obstacle, but political debate over the balance between financial support and democratic representation is likely to continue as the law moves through the legislative process.
