Spanish government’s new laws dropped

WHEN Spain’s national parliament was dissolved last Monday, the fate of 19 new laws became uncertain.

With a general election on November 20 and regional elections in Andalucia on the same day, 17 of the initiatives could now come to nothing.  The state Budget Act is the most important of these and with time running out this year’s previsions will instead be extended.

Legislation on equality, the right to dignity in death and religious freedom are unlikely to go ahead, as are laws on collective arbitration and workplace inspections to combat fraud and legislation.  A planned law on criminal trial proceedings is destined to fall by the wayside, as is another centring on sports doping.

The outgoing government did, however, manage to push through some of its legislation on the rights, responsibilities and retirement age of the police with an act of parliament.

Many of the laws yet to be fully debated touched on a wide range of subjects, from telecommunications and improvements in the food-chain supply to a high court tribunal project intended to amalgamate different courts in the same judicial districts.  Legislation on funeral facilities will also be affected, together with supervision of private insurance.

Two further laws that failed to find their way onto the statute books related to the European gas and electricity market.

Unlike the other 17 laws which the new government elected on November 20 may choose to maintain or ignore, these two pieces of legislation will have to be dealt with.

Based on EU directives they must be incorporated into national law, although the new government can choose whether to maintain them in their original form, or present new versions to the Madrid parliament.