The proposed Catalonia high mountain law will remove nearly half of Catalan towns from their current “high mountain” classification. This draft legislation, presented on Thursday, restricts special funding eligibility to 144 municipalities facing severe geographic and demographic challenges. Consequently, it significantly narrows the scope of previous 1983 regulations.
This new Catalonia high mountain law aims to update a forty-year-old framework by concentrating resources on areas with extreme topography and low population density. While the current system supports 300 municipalities, the new text excludes 156 of them, including the entire Garrotxa region. Officials argue this targeted approach is necessary to protect territories suffering from genuine natural disadvantages.
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Redefining high mountain territory under the new Catalonia high mountain law
The Generalitat has designed new criteria to target towns where geography creates significant economic obstacles. To qualify under the new rules, areas must demonstrate severe orographic difficulties, such as an average land slope exceeding 30%. The text notes that altitude and climate in these zones present “obstacles that are not minor,” limiting both communication networks and land availability for housing.
The 144 municipalities retained in the plan cover 28.3% of Catalonia’s surface area but house only 1.99% of the population. These towns are primarily located in Aran, Alta Ribagorça, Alt Urgell, Pallars Jussà, Pallars Sobirà, Cerdanya, Solsonès, Berguedà, and Ripollès.
Sílvia Paneque, the Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, presented the draft in Vielha. According to reports on the announcement, the government intends to move away from the 1983 law’s focus on physical infrastructure. Instead, the new strategy prioritises economic promotion and social development based on the region’s unique characteristics.
Governance and strategic planning changes in the Catalonia high mountain law
The legislation introduces a technical office responsible for drafting a strategic action plan every six years. This body will act as an observatory to identify urgent local needs and evaluate public policy impacts. It will manage funding for projects related to sustainable forest management, bioeconomy, and renewable energy, aligning with the existing Pyrenees Strategy. This approach to regional policy echoes other recent government actions, such as Barcelona’s recent pre-emption law for public housing, which also targets specific territorial needs.
In a significant shift, the Consell General de l’Alta Muntanya (General Council of the High Mountains) will transform from a consultative group into a body with executive decision-making power.
Reaction from rural communities to the Catalonia high mountain law
The exclusion of 156 municipalities has sparked debate regarding the fairness of the new boundaries. The Association of Micropobles has criticised the draft, arguing that while it benefits a small core of towns, it accentuates the gap between different mountain communities. They questioned whether the policy should be “exclusive and selective” rather than inclusive.
Addressing the removal of the Garrotxa region, the text includes a provision allowing these towns to retain access to specific subsidies for roads, mobility, and transport, despite losing their primary status. The draft law is now open for a one-month public consultation period.
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