Officials from the Catalan and Spanish governments are meeting in Madrid this afternoon to validate several points from the budget agreement reached with ERC. The session is taking place at the Ministry of Territorial Policy and is focused on infrastructure and investment measures for Catalonia.
The bilateral commission is chaired by Albert Dalmau, Catalan Minister for the Presidency, and Ángel Víctor Torres, Spanish Minister for Territorial Policy. Catalan Economy and Finance Minister Alícia Romero is also attending. For background on related coverage, see our news tag.
One of the main items is the orbital railway line. The agreed document says the line will be 120 kilometres long, with 39 stations, and will connect Vilanova i la Geltrú with Mataró, passing through Vilafranca del Penedès, Martorell, Terrassa, Sabadell and Granollers. The commission will not start construction, but it will formalise the commitment to build the line.
According to the agreement, a collaboration protocol must be signed in 2026 between the administrations involved. That protocol will cover the studies and projects needed for the works, followed by a financing agreement. The document also says a monitoring table must be created with representatives from the Catalan government, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, ADIF, RENFE and Ifercat. For official transport information, see the Spanish Ministry of Transport and ADIF.
The meeting also covers the creation of a new investment consortium and a mercantile society to support state investment in Catalonia. The agreement says the consortium will have equal representation from the Catalan and Spanish governments and will promote, plan, monitor, manage and execute Spanish state investments in Catalonia. Until it is formed, the bilateral infrastructure commission will handle planning and monitoring.
Separately, the talks include changes to the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona. The proposal is to replace the current 100% state-owned body with a consortium in which the Spanish state would hold 45%, the Catalan government 40% and Barcelona City Council 15%. The agreement also seeks to strengthen the transfer of powers over coastal management, as set out in the Statute of Autonomy.
