The Regional Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Local Administration, Miguel Ángel García Martín, outlined these measures during the Administrative Simplification: Challenges and Achievements summer course at the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP), held jointly with the Government of Cantabria at the Magdalena Palace in Santander.
García Martín stressed that “bureaucracy is not synonymous with rigour; all too often, it becomes a genuine obstacle to development, innovation and equal opportunities.” He added: “The regional government is committed to regulatory simplification as a way to boost economic activity and modernise public administration. Our work is built on key pillars: clarifying regulations, reducing administrative procedures, improving efficiency, enhancing transparency, and promoting fairness and accessibility.”
Among the initiatives highlighted during his speech was the decree approved last June to improve the legislative drafting process. The new regulation introduces a mandatory review of regional legislation every four years and gives priority to the principle of positive administrative silence, benefiting both citizens and businesses.
He also referred to a series of legal reforms that have updated or repealed dozens of regulations. These include the 2022 Urgent Measures Act, which amended 31 regional laws, and the 2023 Omnibus Act, which introduced changes to 14 legislative provisions. These reforms were followed by three pieces of legislation approved in 2024 covering urban planning, environmental policy and local public administration, which amended more than 130 articles.
Measures to boost the economy
The Regional Minister also highlighted other initiatives, such as the Open Line Against Overregulation, the first scheme of its kind in Spain, which allows citizens, entrepreneurs and professionals to report regulatory and administrative barriers they encounter when carrying out their activities or launching new projects.
He also pointed to initiatives such as the Investment Accelerator, which has assessed around 15 business projects worth more than €7 billion, and the Open Market legislation, in force since 2022, which enables professionals to carry out their activities anywhere in Spain without having to obtain additional permits beyond those already granted in their region of origin.
García Martín also underlined the success of the Digital Account (Cuenta Digital) platform, which recorded more than 10 million logins in 2025 and has saved Madrid residents more than 300,000 hours in administrative procedures thanks to the range of digital services it provides.
The main objective of this simplification agenda is to modernise the regional regulatory framework, eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthen legal certainty for citizens, businesses and investors, and promote economic activity, investment and job creation.
The Madrid Region, Spain’s economic engine
Regulatory simplification policies have helped make the Community of Madrid Spain’s leading economic region, accounting for 19.8% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one percentage point more than Catalonia.
The region also ranks first in GDP per capita, exceeding €44,000, which is 37% above the Spanish average.
In addition, Madrid attracts more investment than any other region in Spain and leads the country in business creation. Last year, it reached a record high of more than 28,300 newly established companies, representing 22% of all new businesses created nationwide.