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PSC and Junts Strike Deal to Update Barcelona’s Civic Ordinance Before Christmas

City leaders say tougher enforcement will curb botellones, graffiti, bar crawls, street vending and chronic nonpayment.

Overview

  • An extraordinary Presidency commission is set for Thursday to enable initial approval, with a full council vote planned for December 19.
  • The overhaul raises penalties for public drinking, illegal street vending and organized bar crawls to as much as €3,000, and requires graffiti offenders to help clean up.
  • Junts claims the PSC accepted all 12 of its proposals, while La Vanguardia reports one was excluded involving references to incivism in migrants’ arraigo documentation.
  • The PSC and Junts hold a 21-seat majority that can carry the reform; ERC is negotiating changes such as prioritizing mediation and delinking arraigo from incivism and is reported by El País as expected to support the text.
  • Junts highlights weak enforcement—only 16% of fines collected over the past two years—and the reform adds mechanisms to improve collection, including cooperation to recover fines from foreign offenders.