Catalonia Gets Joint Airport Body and 75 Million Euros for Roads

The Spanish government and the Generalitat (the Catalan government) have agreed to create a Bilateral Airport Body that gives Catalonia a formal say in the strategic planning of its four airports of general interest: Barcelona-el Prat, Girona-Costa Brava, Reus and Sabadell, according to the newspaper Ara. Management stays with Aena, the airport operator.

The same meeting produced agreements on 75 million euros of road resurfacing on the AP-7 and AP-2 motorways, 1,148.7 million euros in rail funding and work on the transfer of the R1 commuter line.

What the new airport body can and cannot do

The body will have four representatives from each administration and a rotating presidency, and it will decide by consensus. It lets the Generalitat put forward proposals before airport master plans are drawn up, and it gives the Catalan government a part in preparing the Airport Regulation Document (DORA), which sets the investment needs of the network that Aena runs.

Ara reports that the deal does not transfer powers and does not create co-management with Aena. Government sources described it as a participation mechanism, similar to the one the Basque Country has today. Catalan civil society, business organizations and some political parties have long called for full transfer of airport management to Catalonia, and the agreement does not meet that demand.

Roadworks on the AP-7 and AP-2

Asphalt rehabilitation worth 75 million euros will be carried out on the AP-7 and AP-2. The Generalitat will be able to draft the projects and carry out the works, which are expected during 2027 in the provinces of Barcelona, Tarragona and Girona.

The work adds to projects already planned to build new connections and improve existing ones, with the aim of improving safety. Ara notes that traffic on the AP-7 has risen since tolls were removed, with some sections recording up to 150,000 vehicles a day, about 25,000 of them heavy vehicles.

Money for Rodalies and regional trains

The Joint Commission for Economic and Fiscal Affairs agreed on State transfers to the Generalitat worth 1,148.7 million euros to finance railway services in Catalonia for 2025-2028. The largest item, more than 900 million euros, compensates for the operating deficit of Rodalies (Catalonia’s commuter rail) and regional services run by Renfe Viajeros in 2026 and 2027.

Resources were also agreed to strengthen rail service in Lleida. A further State allocation of practically 37 million euros covers reinforcements to the alternative plans the Generalitat has had to put in place to keep people moving during 2026.

R1 transfer and the Orbital Railway

The transfer of the R1 line is one of the longest-stalled items. Both the Department of Territory and the Ministry of Transport have said several times that it should arrive before the end of the year. The bilateral commission instructed its Infrastructure Transfer Working Group to push the work already under way, so the Generalitat can run the line with guarantees on railway safety, interoperability and compliance with European regulations, according to the Government.

The two governments also agreed to speed up the Orbital Railway Line, which is to link Mataró and Vilanova i la Geltrú without passing through Barcelona. New monitoring and working bodies will set up a cooperation framework for the project.

What this means for residents

For travelers, the airport body gives the Catalan government a seat when investment priorities for El Prat and the other three airports are set, while Aena still decides how they are operated. For commuters, the funding covers service on Rodalies and regional lines, and the R1 transfer remains pending. Drivers on the AP-7 and AP-2 can expect resurfacing works during 2027.

The agreement also set up a working group to promote the use of Catalan in dealings between the State administration and citizens, and more training for public employees, and it activated bodies to strengthen the Generalitat’s participation in European affairs that touch Catalan powers.

Source: Ara