On its tenth anniversary, the association of Multinational Companies with Spain published a report that argues for easier regulatory and administrative processes to draw more foreign investment into the country. The document centers on the idea of good legislation and examines how Spain can increase investment by strengthening regulatory processes, ensuring regulatory stability, and providing a safe, high-quality framework. The core premise is that political stability and sound regulation are key factors guiding foreign investment decisions.
The report characterizes the current regulatory framework as extremely burdensome for economic operators. It notes that Spain produces a lot of regulatory text, which many describe as complicated and messy. This complexity is said to raise costs and create artificial fragmentation in the market, complicating compliance and market access.
A notable weakness highlighted by the association is the lack of systematic review after regulations are approved and implemented. Once a rule is in place, opportunities to refine and improve it are often missed. The text stresses the need to improve criteria for public involvement, including deeper citizen participation and more meaningful consultations.
Related news and broader implications are discussed: the regulatory burden can slow economic and business activity, consume resources that could otherwise fund productive investments, and reduce transparency and agility. The outcome is less open competition, slower innovation, and weaker job creation, especially affecting small and young companies and the manufacturing sector due to regulatory complexity.
To address these challenges the report proposes concrete changes. It suggests expanding the timeframe of regulatory schemes from annual cycles to longer legislative horizons, reducing the number of standards that fall outside planning, and reiterating the pursuit of simplicity, certainty, and lower administrative burdens. It also calls for longer periods of citizen participation and more rigorous evaluation processes to ensure rules remain relevant and effective. (Citation: Association of Multinational Companies with Spain, regulatory burden report, 10th anniversary analysis)