The Parliament approves the first Third Social Sector Law of Catalonia

The Parliament of Catalonia has approved the first Third Social Sector Law. The new law institutionally recognizes the work of social entities and reinforces their role as essential agents in guaranteeing rights, social cohesion and well-being throughout the country.

The law, approved with broad parliamentary consensus, will regulate the entities that make up the third social sector in Catalonia, recognizes their role in the different areas of intervention and establishes new instruments of collaboration with public administrations.

A key sector for social cohesion

The third social sector currently reaches more than two million people in Catalonia (one in four) thanks to a network made up of more than 120,000 professionals and more than half a million volunteers.

The new law defines the third social sector as the set of private non-profit entities, with their own legal personality, based in Catalonia and born from citizen initiative, which develop activities of general interest with criteria of transparency, participation and social commitment.

More participation and dialogue with institutions

Among the most prominent aspects of the law is the recognition of the right of entities to participate in the development of public policies and in the decision-making processes linked to their field of action. The law aims to strengthen the active participation of the third sector in the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies for the care of people in situations of vulnerability, as well as to consolidate a relationship of stable dialogue and co-responsibility with public administrations.

It also includes the creation of the Civil Dialogue Council of Catalonia as a stable space for dialogue between the Government and social entities.

New collaboration instruments with the administration

The new law also strengthens the mechanisms of collaboration between the Administration and the third sector, especially through formulas such as social concerted action and delegated management, with the aim of guaranteeing quality services and a closer response to the needs of citizens.

In this sense, the text establishes social concertation as the preferred form of relationship with the administrations, although the specific regulation of the instruments for the provision of social services will be developed in the future law promoted by the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion.

Historical recognition

The Minister of Social Rights and Inclusion highlighted “the historic recognition that this law represents for the work sustained over the years by the Board of Third Sector Social Entities of Catalonia, the Confederation and all the social entities that have promoted this new law and the commitment throughout this entire process”, as well as “the willingness of the parliamentary groups to reach consensus”. In this sense, she assured that “in the current political moment, reaching an agreement is an act of responsibility, and today Parliament has exercised it”.

The new regulation also incorporates measures to move towards more stable and structural financing of social entities. For the first time, the stable financing of entities representing the third sector is regulated and structural subsidies are reinforced to improve the economic support and sustainability of the entities.

The law also includes measures aimed at improving the working conditions of social sector professionals and sets the objective of progressively moving towards equality with the public sector, in line with the agreements recently promoted by the Government to strengthen and dignify the social sector.

In addition, the new regulation provides for the creation of a public census of third social sector entities, with the aim of strengthening transparency, institutional recognition and legal certainty for the sector as a whole.

Finally, the minister noted that this law “provides recognition, stability and greater capacity for collaboration between institutions and social entities”, and consolidates the third social sector as “an essential ally of public policies and a fundamental pillar of the welfare state”.

The regulation also includes the commitment that the Government officially establishes the Third Social Sector Day of Catalonia, which will be commemorated annually in recognition of the essential contribution of social entities to the country.

A country model based on collaboration and community

The approval of this law represents a step forward in the construction of a country model that understands the collaboration between administration and civil society as an essential tool to guarantee rights and opportunities.

“I believe in a strong welfare state. And to build it we need to do it together: administration and civil society, politicians and entities, institutions and people”, concluded the minister.