Overview
- The Consell de Garanties Estatutàries issued a unanimous, non-binding opinion on Tuesday that the proposed law on official chambers of commerce complies with the Statute of Autonomy and the Spanish Constitution.
- The ruling explicitly validates the controversial 'sillas de plata', which are seats reserved for the companies that make the largest voluntary financial contributions to a chamber.
- The law sets a three-tier system for chamber seats: at least two-thirds elected by universal suffrage, up to 10% nominated as prominent economic figures chosen by elected members, and a third group reserved for top contributing companies.
- The bill is championed in the Parlament by PSC‑Units, Junts, ERC and the PP and opposed by Comuns and the CUP, and parliamentary debate and a possible vote are expected when the chamber resumes work at the end of September.
- Practical stakes are rising: the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona recently expanded its reserved seats from 2 to 10 in a roughly 60-seat body, a change that could shift who speaks for business on public bodies, vocational training and chamber finances.