Nuevas formas de participación de los Entes Locales: El Consejo de lo Gobiernos Locales

The proposal for the reform of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia was passed by the Catalan Parliament on September 2005. Besides the improvement of self-government of Catalonia, the proposal also tries to define the Catalonia’s local institutional system, taking up again the discussion about the scope of the principle of local autonomy. From this point of view, the proposal incorporates new elements to guarantee the local autonomy, among others, the Council of Local Governments. This new institution appears as the body of representation of municipalities and vegueries in the Generalitat’s institutional framework. At the same time, it is empowered to participate in the regulatory proceedings that affect specifically local administrations. Starting from the proposal for the reform of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, the purpose of this essay is to draft a first approach to the legal system of the Council of Local Governments, trying to determine which are its legal constitution, its composition and its main functions.