Case Study
Spanish Administration trusts in accreditation to control urban planning development
Some regional administrations and city councils are establishing measures to liberalize and reduce administrative burdens in different areas of municipal activity in Spain. In many cases such measures include Councils and private bodies collaborating to perform certain inspections. As a general rule, in these cases the Administration relies on ENAC accreditation to provide adequate confidence in the independence and technical competence of these institutions.
The region of Madrid published the 639/2014 Order of 10 April, which regulates collaborating private bodies exercising the administrative inspection and control functions in urban planning. The new regulatory framework in Madrid opened the possibility of the Administration collaborating with ECUS (Urban Planning Collaborating Bodies) accredited by ENAC for inspection and control in the whole Region, when previously they were only authorized in the City of Madrid.
Meanwhile, the region of Valencia has published the 7/2014 Decree for a similar scheme with private bodies called Administrative Certification Agencies, according to the “14/2010 Law, 3 December, of the Government of Public Entertainment, Recreation and Public establishments, Shows”.
The region of Galicia has published the 9/2013 Law of 19 December “Entrepreneurship and the economic competitiveness of Galicia” which identifies similar bodies: the ECCOM, which will carry out certification, verification, inspection and facility and establishment conformity control actions in the whole of the Galicia Region as well as activities with regulations applied at the municipal level. Galicia has also published the 144/2016 Decree, that approves the regulation of economic activities and establishments opening.
ENAC’s accreditation of these bodies for control of urban planning activities, provides a declaration of competence, impartiality and good work in performing the inspections. Thereby giving the Administration confidence in the collaboration work done by these conformity inspectors.
