History
The Patronat Català Pro-Europa was established as a consortium in 1982 by the Government of Catalonia through the decree 237/1982 of 20 July. The purpose of the entity, in anticipation of Catalonia and Spain joining the European Economic Community, was "to promote and coordinate documentation, information, studies and other activities relating to the Communities and other European entities, Spain's process of joining them and the potential impact this might have on Catalonia". Ten years later, the decree 291/1992 of 14 December regulated the activity of the Patronat Català Pro-Europa, approving its operational statutes and internal regulations. The first directors of the consortium were, in chronological order, Víctor Pou, Carles Gasòliba, Anna Terrón and Arnau Queralt.
In 2007, the Patronat Català Pro-Europa became the Patronat Catalunya Món under decree 273/2007. The new entity continued to operate as a consortium, and its purpose was to "organise activities and provide services in Catalonia to ensure that Catalan Civil Society is equipped with the knowledge and information necessary to promote its internationalisation". The decision to re-launch the entity was justified by the argument that "the goals that had been set in 1982 had been met and new challenges had emerged, primarily concerning the internationalisation of Catalan society". The heads of the organisation during this period were Maria do Carmo Marques Pinto and Roser Clavell.
Subsequently, in 2012, the Patronat Catalunya Món became the Patronat Catalunya Món-Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (PCM-DIPLOCAT), known as DIPLOCAT, under the decree 149/2012 of 20 November. This change was made because the new entity was to become "a government instrument that would develop a public diplomacy strategy and contribute to the country's external knowledge and recognition". One of the main objectives was to address international public opinion. The heads of DIPLOCAT during this period were Roser Clavell and Albert Royo.
In April 2018, DIPLOCAT temporarily ceased to function by order of the Spanish Government, which triggered Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution following the referendum on self-determination on 1 October 2017. Although a liquidation body was appointed, the consortium's legal status was never dissolved, and in July 2018 the Government of Catalonia and the other members of the consortium unanimously decided to reactivate it. From then on, it resumed its activities with Laura Foraster i Lloret at the helm.
Finally, the decree 112/2024 established that the entity would be renamed as Catalonia International Consortium. This change was made, according to the aforementioned decree, to adapt the Statutes to the new regulations applicable to consortia, specifically Law 40/2015. Also because Spain's Constitutional Court rulings 228/2016 of 16 December and 135/2020 of 23 September declared, among other things, the precepts containing the definition of the term "public diplomacy" in Catalan Law 16/2014 of 4 December on foreign action and relations with the European Union, to be unconstitutional. It is important to note that the concept of public diplomacy was included in the consortium's previous name.
Catalonia International aims to connect Catalonia with the world and promote activities that project the country's image abroad, creating links and relationships of trust with the people and institutions of other countries. It also encourages Catalan civil society and organisations to get involved in and contribute to the major global challenges and debates, become relevant actors on the international stage, and establish lasting bridges of dialogue over time in the spirit of listening and being listened to.
Last updated: 27/09/2024