3.1 Administrative Information about Spain: Public Administrations and their Competences
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country, member of the European Union, governed by a parliamentary monarchy. Madrid is its capital, and it is administratively divided into:
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- 17 Comunidades Autónomas |
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Every Autonomous Region has its own website, where you can find information about all the public resources. The Spanish Legislation guarantees access to all the public websites indicating that these should meet the minimum criteria for accessibility for people with disabilities. (Law 26/2011, August 1, normative adaptation to the International Convention about the Rights of People with Disabilities.) |
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AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES OFFICIAL WEBSITE LIST |
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Andalucía |
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Aragón |
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Asturias |
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Baleares (Islas) |
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Canarias (Islas) |
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Cantabria |
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Castilla León |
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Castilla la Mancha |
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Cataluña |
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Extremadura |
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Galicia |
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Madrid |
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Murcia |
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Navarra |
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Pais Vasco /Euskadi |
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Rioja |
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Valencia |
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Ceuta |
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Melilla |
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This administrative division entails a different share of the competences. In Spain, the political and administrative competences are divided into three levels:
1. The Central State
- Has exclusive authority in matters of:
- nationality
- immigration and emigration
- international relations
- law
- taxes
- defense and army
- Shares authority with the Autonomous Regions in matters of:
- education
- health
- housing
- employment
- Is in charge of elaborating the general laws that regulate these matters:
2. The Autonomous Regions and Cities
- They are in charge of implementing and regulating those matters which authority they share with the Central State, such as:
- education
- health
- housing
- They are in charge of implementing those matters that are exclusively a competence of the Central State, like immigration, and also those which they share the authority on, like employment.
- The role of the Autonomous Regions is double: legislating and implementing. When it comes to immigration, the Autonomous Regions are in charge of serving immigrants in matters such as heath, education and social assistance.
3. The Local Governments
- The municipalities are only in charge of managing their region, but they have no authority over matters such as immigration, education, heath or employment.
- The municipalities are in charge of:
- social assistance of their citizens, including immigrants
- supporting the management of primary health care
- collaborating with the public administration in building and maintenance of schools
- participating in curriculum development for schools
- controlling attendance to compulsory education and intervening in case of absenteeism
- providing information and guidance on how to enrol a school
- developing employment initiatives to improve access to employment for their citizens
- promoting the civic involvement of the people who live in their region
