Central, Regional and Local Government Administrations

This Guide aims to provide information, guidance and advice for European Residents, in order to help and encourage their social integration in the province of Alicante. This first leaflet provides information about the functions and resources of the Central, Regional and Local Government Administrations.

• Central Administration
The task of the Spanish Central Administration is to implement government policies and hence is divided up into Ministries. These ministries cover one or more areas of administration activity and are organised as follows:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Economics and Finance; Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Development; Ministry of Education and Science; Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs; Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Ministry of Public Administration; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs; Ministry of the Environment; Ministry of Housing; the Prime Minister’s Office.

Currently, the chief function of the General Administration is to programme the different areas of activity: relations with the European Union, cooperation with the Autonomous Regions and local authorities, etc.

• Regional Administration
Spain is divided into Municipalities, Provinces and Autonomous Regions. There are currently 17 Autonomous Regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla La Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, the Basque Country, La Rioja and the Region of Valencia, in addition to Ceuta and Melilla, which have their own autonomy statute.

• Provinces
There are 50 provinces in Spain. The Region of Valencia contains three provinces: Alicante, Castellón and Valencia. A province is a local entity with its own legal character and comprises a group of municipalities. The jurisdictional divisions are designed to implement the activities of the State. The provinces are governed and administered by the Provincial Council or other representative bodies.

• Local Administration: Municipal Councils
The municipalities are governed and administered by the Municipal Councils, which comprise a Mayor and several Councillors. The Councillors are elected by the municipality’s residents via equal, free, direct and secret voting, as stipulated by law. In Spain, there are over 8000 municipalities, with big differences in population.
The municipalities have executive powers related to a number of services, such as transport, social services, health and traffic. The responsibilities of the municipalities vary depending on the size of the population.
Municipalities of more than 5000 inhabitants have a Municipal Commission to assist the mayor in the exercise of his duties. Municipal administration in such towns is divided into departments and districts, the leaders of which are ultimately responsible to the mayor.

Separate entities within a municipality
There are separate entities within a municipality that manage certain services. The Autonomous Region Laws that govern local regulations control territorial entities within a Municipality, for the decentralised administration of separate population clusters, such as hamlets, parishes, townships, wards, boroughs, cantons, etc.…

Federations of municipalities
These are voluntary groups of municipalities that work together for the common management of certain municipal services. These Federations are legal entities designated for the execution of specific aims and are governed by their own Statutes. Municipalities form federations for the common management of areas such as Social Services, Local Development, etc.

Districts
These are groups of municipalities designated by an Autonomous Region to manage certain services. The municipalities themselves are sometimes behind the initiative to create a District. In the province of Alicante there are 9 districts: El Comtat; L´Alcoia; La Marina Alta; La Marina Baixa – La Marina Baja; Alt Vinalopó- Alto Vinalopó; Vinalopó Mitjá- Vinalopó Medio; Baix Vinalopó- Bajo Vinalopó; L´Alacantí- Campo de Alicante; Baix Segura- Vega Baja.

Metropolitan Areas
These are groups of municipalities in areas of high population concentrations that are designated by an Autonomous Region for the management of one or more common services. They are local entities comprising municipalities in large urban conglomerates in which certain economic and social links between the various population clusters make necessary to jointly plan and coordinate certain services.

• Alicante Provincial Council
This covers all the municipalities that make up the province. The Provincial Council is formed by deputies elected by the municipal councillors from among themselves. It is headed by a president who is elected from the members of the Regional Cabinet and who has the responsibility for the government and administration of the province.

Provincial Council Departments
Architecture; Social Welfare; Water Cycle Management; Culture and Education; Sport; Economy and Finance; Emergency; Development; Provincial Housing; Infrastructure; Environment; Women, Youth and European Residents; Mental Health; Tourism; Modernisation; the President’s Office; Human Resources.

Alicante Provincial Council: European Residents Department
Functions:
- To provide services and resources to municipal councils in order to face the new challenges posed by European immigration. .
- To promote spaces for exchange and reflection in order to encourage social and cultural integration, as well as a sense of identity and belonging to the local community.
- To open up access to European citizens to all public services and resources and improve their participation in municipality life.
The activities carried out by the European Residents Department include: the program "Get to know the Culture of Alicante”; the European Residents Convention: “Euromeeting"; the Conference entitled “European Residents Dialogue "; and programs that provide funding to municipal councils that carry out actions that promote the integration of European residents in their municipalities …

Information