Literatura académica sobre el tema "Municipal finance, Spain: Catalonia"

The Spanish local system is characterised by strong fragmentation and a large number of local territorial entities. One of the possible ways of compensating for this small size is through associations of municipalities, which may empower their members to provide better services and may increase their ability to solve problems. However, the size of the municipalities may not be the only important factor. Indeed, other dimensions of size, such as the number of members or the size of the institution as an indicator of the degree of institutionalisation, can be taken into account. In this article, we explore the inter-municipal associations in an area of Spain (Catalonia) in order to identify and analyse the key factors and explanatory variables, and to explore different dimensions of the concept of size. Points for practitioners The size of the organisation is an important aspect of inter-municipal associations and it can be influenced by the number of municipalities and the area of cooperation. Upper-level-driven reforms may have a direct impact on the creation of these kinds of entities.

This paper deals with the location, origins, and early development of clusters and industrial districts in the agribusiness sector. It considers the case of the meat processing industry in the second half of the 19th century in Catalonia, a prosperous southern-European region in the period when this industry emerged. By constructing an index of potential locations at the municipal level, the paper discusses whether, and to what extent, deterministic factors explain the genesis of pigmeat processing clusters. The paper concludes that although these latter factors need primary consideration, contingency, particularly human agency, may also play a non-negligible role. As an illustration, this study pays particular attention to the cluster of Vic, which developed around this middle-sized town in central Catalonia. It became a leading meat cluster in early 20th-century Spain, even though it was not better suited to this industry than other Catalan localities where meat companies had also emerged.

Spain is one of the four world leaders in coastal tourism. To keep the top position in such a highly competitive market, coastal managers in Spain need to constantly monitor the social, ecological, and economic components of ‘sun and sea’ tourism. Thus, the main goals of the present study are to analyse the most visited Spanish coastal destinations and to evaluate their competitiveness relative to each other. Geomarketing Methods were applied to evaluate seaside destinations pursuant to socio-economic and physico-geographical parameters. Results show that the most competitive destination is the Canary Islands, followed by Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Andalusia and Murcia regions.

Sideritis royoi is found in the rocky limestone habitats of the Port Massif (southern Catalonia, Spain). The species was first collected by the local botanist Lluís de Torres in the late part of the 20th century, but the specimens have remained unidentified positively in herbaria for over 40 years. Sideritis royoi likely belongs to section Sideritis subsection Hyssopifoliae and shows some morphological affinities with the relatively widespread South European species S. hyssopifolia L., but it differs from this species because it has subspinescent upper leaves, the main surfaces of its leaves are glabrous or glabrescent, the main abaxial surface of its bracts is without eglandular hairs, and due to the fact that it has shorter inflorescences. Weaker similarities have also been observed with some species belonging to S. subsection Fruticulosae Obón & D.Rivera. In this paper, a description for the new orophilous species is provided, along with a detailed illustration, field photographs, and a comparison with closely related species. We include an assessment of its conservation status and a dichotomous key for the identification of all the species of Sideritis subsection Hyssopifoliae.

Since 2008, the environmental levels of polychlorinated compounds near a municipal solid waste incinerator in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain) have been periodically monitored. The present study aimed at updating the data regarding the temporal changes occurred between 2015 and 2017, when air and soil samples were collected again, and the concentrations of the same chemical pollutants (i.e., polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) were analysed. Furthermore, the health risks associated with their human exposure were also evaluated. The levels of all the contaminants in soil were far below the threshold established by regional and national legislations, also being lower than those observed in previous surveys. A similar trend was also noted for PCDD/Fs in air samples, while airborne PCBs were the only group of chemicals whose levels significantly increased. In any case, the global assessment of the data regarding the different pollutants and matrices indicates that there has not been a general increase in the environmental pollution around the facility. In addition, the environmental exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs by the population living nearby is still clearly lower than the dietary intake of these same chemical pollutants.

AbstractEver since the spectacular boom and bust cycle of the Spanish real estate industry, endemic corruption at the local level has become a widely recognized problem in the national public discourse. In an effort to expose an under-explored political determinant, this paper investigates the effect of local and regional alignment in fomenting corruption at the Spanish municipal level. To do so, we construct an ample panel dataset on the prevalence of corrupt practices by local politicians, which is employed to test the possible impact of partisan alignment in three consecutive joint municipal and regional elections. Findings show aligned municipalities to be more corrupt than non-aligned ones, an effect that is further associated with absolute majorities at both levels of government and higher capital transfers. By contrast, we also show that “throwing the rascals out” could be an effective strategy for curbing the corrupt practices of aligned municipalities. This indicates that the democratic political process may be effective in corruption control if agreements can be reached to remove corrupt politicians or parties from power.

Aquesta tesi doctoral analitza el funcionament del sistema i la forma de govern municipal des d’una doble vessant. D’una banda, s’analitzen les teories clàssiques de la forma de govern per tal de poder construir un aparell conceptual coherent per al nivell local i vincular la recerca en l’àmbit municipal a la teoria general. D’una altra, se centra en l’anàlisi de la forma de govern municipal, la seva articulació i morfologia amb la voluntat d’identificar elements explicatius. El fet que el model d’estructuració i desenvolupament institucional del nivell local a l’estat espanyol permeti una adaptació profunda de la relació entre els diferents òrgans, ofereix una oportunitat d’anàlisi per apropar‐se al fet de si s’ha produït una variació en la forma de govern i, a partir d’aquí, a la caracterització de la mateixa i a la identificació dels possibles elements explicatius. Les qüestions de partida d’aquesta tesi se centraran, en primer lloc en mostrar si el mer fet de l’existència d’una habilitació general per al desenvolupament de models institucionals dissemblants ha generat l’emergència de models diferents, essent que variables identificades com a rellevants per la matèria romanen estables. En segon lloc, constatada aquesta variabilitat, es procedeix a caracteritzar‐la fet pel qual s’utilitza el marc teòric de la teoria general de les formes de govern i les tipologies pròpies dels estudis locals de forma conjunta. En aquest sentit, la tesi s’atura en el moviment de les delegacions i en quina és la posició de sortida i d’arribada en cada cas. Per últim es porta a terme una anàlisi per tal d’identificar les conseqüències de la forma de govern en termes de rendiment institucional i, en concret, d’estabilitat i dels determinats de les formes de govern i dels patrons d’homogeneïtat i heterogeneïtat. El fet de poder treballar amb un número ampli d’ens sotmesos a unes mateixes condicions externes i amb la possibilitat de que manifestin un comportament diferent, permet estudiar les relacions entre una determinada forma de govern i els seus elements caracteritzadors i explicatius però mantenint constants tota una sèrie de variables ambientals potencialment rellevants. En conseqüència, el tractament d’aquesta temàtica adaptat a l’àmbit del govern local, hauria de permetre desenvolupar models analítics que podrien acomodar‐se a l’estudi de la forma de govern des d’un perspectiva territorial diferent per tal d’aplicar‐los a un apropament més general de la matèria.
Esta tesis doctoral analiza el funcionamiento del sistema y la forma de gobierno municipal desde una doble vertiente. Por un lado, se analizan las teorías clásicas de la forma de gobierno para poder construir un aparato conceptual coherente para el nivel local y vincular la investigación en el ámbito municipal a la teoría general. Por otro lado, se centra en el análisis de la forma de gobierno municipal, su articulación y morfología con la voluntad de identificar elementos explicativos. El hecho de que el modelo de estructuración y desarrollo institucional del nivel local en España permita una adaptación profunda de la relación entre los diferentes órganos, ofrece una oportunidad de análisis para acercarse al hecho de si se ha producido una variación en la forma de gobierno y, a partir de ahí, la caracterización de la misma, así como a la identificación de los posibles elementos explicativos. Las cuestiones de partida de esta tesis se centrarán, en primer lugar, en mostrar si el mero hecho de la existencia de una habilitación general para el desarrollo de modelos institucionales disímiles ha generado la emergencia de modelos diferentes, siendo que las variables identificadas como relevantes para la materia permanecen estables. En segundo lugar, constatada esta variabilidad, se procede a caracterizarla, proceso en el cual se utiliza el marco teórico de la teoría general de las formas de gobierno y las tipologías propias de los estudios locales de forma conjunta. En este sentido, la tesis se detiene en el movimiento de las delegaciones y en cuál es la posición de salida y de llegada en cada caso. Por último, se lleva a cabo un análisis para identificar las consecuencias de la forma de gobierno en términos de rendimiento institucional, y en concreto, de estabilidad, y de los elementos determinantes de las formas de gobierno y de los patrones de homogeneidad y heterogeneidad. El hecho de poder trabajar con un número amplio de entes sometidos a unas mismas condiciones externas y con la posibilidad de que manifiesten un comportamiento diferente, permite estudiar las relaciones entre una determinada forma de gobierno y sus elementos caracterizadores y explicativos, pero manteniendo constantes toda una serie de variables ambientales potencialmente relevantes. En consecuencia, el desarrollo de esta temática adaptado al ámbito del gobierno local, debería permitir elaborar modelos analíticos que podrían acomodarse al estudio de la forma de gobierno desde una perspectiva territorial diferente para aplicarlos a una aproximación más general de la materia.
This doctoral thesis analyses the operation of the institutional municipal system from a twofold perspective. On the one hand, the classic theories of the form of government are analysed in order to construct a coherent conceptual apparatus for the local level with the intention of linking the investigation of the municipal ambit to general theory. On the other hand, it focuses on the analysis of the form of municipal government, its articulation and morphology, with the aspiration of identifying explanatory elements. The fact that the shape of the institutional structure of municipalities in Spain can be deeply modified by local councils allows a profound adaptation of the relationship between the different bodies. This offers an interesting opportunity to approach the question of whether there has been a change in the form of government; its extent and main characteristics; and whether it is possible to identify explanatory elements. This thesis focuses firstly on determining whether the mere fact of the existence of a general authorization to alter the framework can lead to an effective modification of it. It is also interesting to explore the extent of these changes and whether the municipalities have generated different patterns, considering that the relevant variables remain stable and controlled. Once this variability is confirmed, this study proceeds to characterize the changes and alterations. Regarding this process, the theoretical framework of the general theory of forms of government is particularly useful. In addition, the typologies developed in the framework of local studies are also used in order to construct a synthetic approach. The thesis explores the movement of delegations and the original and final institutional positions of each body. Finally, an analysis is developed with the aim of identifying the consequences of the form of government for institutional performance, especially concerning stability and the determinant elements of the forms of government and the patterns of homogeneity and heterogeneity. The fact of being able to work with a large number of entities, which are all under the same external conditions and can effectively develop different behaviours, makes many analytical opportunities possible. This permits the study of the relations between a particular form of government and its characterizing and explanatory elements. The development of this theme, applied to the scope of local government, allows the elaboration of analytical models that can be adapted to the study of the form of government from a different territorial perspective in order to apply these models to a more general approach to the subject.

Abstract When Antonio Cánovas, architect of the Restoration system, set about his task of reinstalling the previously discredited Bourbon monarchy in 1875, he soon secured the approval of the majority of the fuerzas vivas (the so-called productive forces) of Catalonia. At first sight perhaps, Cánovas’s achievement of introducing a system oflimited pluralism—in which a narrow oligarchy of agrarian and financial interests alternated in power, represented in two artificial parties, Conservatives and Liberals—might seem to have little appeal to representatives of Spain’s foremost industrial region. Catalan politicians, it should be remembered, played no small part both in the ousting of the unpopular Isabel II and in the administration of the ill-fated Federal Republic. Was it not a Catalan, Laureano Figuerola, who, as Minister of Finance, championed the cause of free trade in 1869 when he led the assault on the country’s high tariff barriers? However, Barcelona in the second half of the nineteenth century was not Manchester: the textile manufacturers of the ciudad condal were protectionists to a man. Figuerola, with his Cobdenite ideas, attracted only antipathy from the owners of a plethora of small, undercapitalized, and uncompetitive mills who clamoured for even greater customs duties to be imposed on imported goods whenever market forces turned against them.

The deployment of the «NextGenerationEU» (NG) funds is an exceptional and multifaceted moment. In Spain, among other objectives, such resources help finance the refurbishment of buildings and dwellings with the ultimate goal of increasing the energy efficiency and sustainability standards. Therefore, subsidies contribute to the struggle against the climate crisis and the European energy dependence. Under the framework of the Royal Decree 853/2021, the central government of Spain has regulated six subsidy programmes for such purposes. Regions are entitled to distribute the funds and deploy their own grant proceedings. In Catalonia, the situation is surprising because the exposed subsidies are demanded in very low levels. Thus, the present paper analyses the causes behind the failure of bureaucracy on NG funds dedicated to restoring buildings and dwellings in Catalonia, following an approach based on the analysis of official publications to detect three great administrative inefficiencies and propose corrective measures.

Catalonia (Spain) has a significant potential of biogas production from agricultural activities and municipal waste. In addition, there are plenty of industrial cogeneration plants, but most of them use conventional fuels such as natural gas, and conventional energy conversion devices, such as internal combustion engines. Molten carbonate fuel cells are ultra-clean and highly efficient power generator devices capable of converting biogas into electricity and heat. Located in Lleida (Catalonia), Nufri is a fruit processing company with a long tradition on biogas production and cogeneration, with an installed capacity bigger than 4.5 MW. This study analyzes the economic viability of a fuel cell operating on biogas in Spain, on a real case basis (Nufri). Different fuel cell capacities are analyzed (from 300 kW to 1200 kW). A parametric study of different fuel cell prices ($/kW installed) is performed. Additional biogas cleanup requirements are taken into account. The results are based on the Spanish legislation, which establishes a special legal framework that grants favorable, technology-dependent feed-in premiums for renewable energy and cogeneration. Results show that the payback period ranges from 5 to 8 years depending on the fuel cell capacity and installation price.