- The Parliament of Catalonia has given the go-ahead by a broad consensus to the proposal of the Government of Catalonia to create the European Union and Foreign Action Corps
- All the parties in the chamber overturned the amendments to the totality presented by the right and the far right
The Parliament of Catalonia gave the go-ahead by a broad consensus (ERC, PSC, Junts, CUP and Comuns) to the proposal to process the creation of the European Union and Foreign Action Corps. Specifically, these parliamentary groups rejected the amendments to the totality formulated by Vox, Cs, and the PP to stop the initiative.
During the presentation of the project in the chamber, the Minister for Foreign Action and European Union, Meritxell Serret i Aleu, explained that the creation of the corps responds to a historical need of the Government of Catalonia: “The foreign and EU action corps will improve the service to all citizens, fulfil the Generalitat's foreign action mandate, and will serve to continue internationalising public policies”.
A necessary specialisation for retaining and attracting talent in foreign action
The EU and Foreign Action Corps is a commitment by the Catalan Government to the professionalisation and specialisation of the staff that implements the executive's international policy. Its creation represents a leap forward in Catalonia's projection in the world and in the Government's relations with other executives and international organisations.
Serret stressed that this body will make it possible to have “specialised public servants, and attract more talent to provide more and better support for the institutions and Catalan society in opening up Catalonia to the world”.
“The exercise of competences in foreign action requires specific knowledge that is not currently contemplated in the existing civil service,” said Serret. “This body should allow us to better define professional profiles with specific criteria such as knowledge of languages, EU institutions and policies, and international law, amongst others”.
People who until now have been unable to find their place in the labour market will have the opportunity to join a much more specific group, which will take into account academic and professional experience in international relations.
A body with branches in all ministries
The corps is expected to incorporate expert staff from various government departments in order to reinforce the cross-functional and cohesivevision of Catalan foreign action, and to ensure a greater return of public policies to citizens.
Minister Serret stressed that “the Government's foreign action is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Action and European Union, but it is promoted by all the Government's ministries. So, with this idea of cross-functionality, the staff of this corps will be present in all ministries”.