The Consell de Garanties Estatutàries (CGE), Catalonia’s statutory advisory body, has approved the proposed law on business chambers, including its controversial 'sillas de plata' provision. The decision, issued on Tuesday 11 August 2026, confirms that reserving chamber board seats for companies making the highest voluntary financial contributions does not breach the Catalan Statute of Autonomy or the Spanish Constitution. Under the law, chamber board representation will be allocated through three routes: members elected by general vote, candidates proposed by business organisations and selected by sitting board members, and reserved seats for firms contributing the most financially. The CGE justified the latter as necessary for ensuring the financial sustainability of the chambers, which serve as consultative bodies representing commerce, industry, navigation, and services in Catalonia. The approval removes a major legal hurdle for the legislation, which is supported by PSC, Junts, ERC, and PP. It now returns to the Catalan Parliament for debate when sessions resume at the end of September.

Opposition Warns of Skewed Representation

Political groups Comuns and CUP challenged the law, arguing that higher financial input should not equate to greater governance influence. They warned the measure could distort social dialogue by amplifying corporate interests over broader business representation. Despite these concerns, the CGE found no constitutional grounds to block the provision. The council also validated other elements of the law, including the chambers’ role in public and public-private administrative bodies and their participation in vocational training programmes.

The system of allocating board seats based on voluntary economic contributions does not violate either the Estatut d’Autonomia or the Spanish Constitution.

Chambers of commerce across Spain have long acted as intermediaries between government and the private sector. This reform reflects ongoing efforts to modernise their funding and governance models amid shifting economic demands. While the CGE’s opinion is non-binding, it carries significant legal weight in assessing compliance with regional and national frameworks.

The last Catalan Chamber of Commerce Act dates back to 2002 and had not been renewed, leaving Catalonia without an updated legal framework for over a decade. A new state-level Chamber of Commerce Act passed in 2014 rendered the old Catalan law obsolete, but consensus among economic stakeholders delayed progress. Negotiations led by the Council of Chambers of Commerce, including dialogue with employers' associations and unions, eventually produced a revised text acceptable to major parties. Employers' group Pimec had previously opposed drafts over fears of overlapping functions with chambers. Business owners and chamber members can follow updates on the legislative process via the barna.news legislative tracker.

Reported by barna.news, RUSSPAIN.com, Carlota Serra, Quim Bertomeu, Alberto Prieto, Marcos Lamelas, Javier Díaz Mallo, Daniel Tercero, eleconomista.es, Josep Maria Casas, Cedida, lavanguardia.com, Gabriel Ubieto.