List of agencies in Spain


In Spain, the legislative definition of agency is regulated in Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector. Unlike other countries, in Spain only the executive branch has agencies and any need of any of the other branches is covered by the executive.

Types of agencies

There is not a single definition of what is considered an agency in Spain because, on the one hand, there are three types of public agencies : Autonomous agencies, public business entities and state agencies. But, in addition, there are also independent agencies.
As far as this article is concerned, public business entities are going to be ruled out because, despite being considered public agencies according to legislation, their operation is more similar to that of a public company than to that of an agency itself and may be subordinate to an autonomous agency.
Of the other three types of agency, the main difference between them is the law that regulates them. OAs are governed by common administrative law, while AEs and AAIs are governed by their own creation laws. Autonomous agencies and state agencies have their own legal personality, their own treasury and assets, and autonomy in their management, while the AAIs have their own legal personality, their own assets, but they have independence in their management, not autonomy. The AAIs can be compared to the independent agencies of the United States, since they are independent of the executive branch insofar as they are regulated by their own special legislation that includes special mechanisms to ensure their independence, as is the limitation for the executive branch to appoint and dismiss the high officials of it, with greater control of the legislative branch.
Another important difference is the purpose for which they are created. The autonomous agencies carry out activities of the Public Administration, both activities of promotion, give benefits, management of public services or production of goods of public interest, as differentiated instrumental organizations and dependent on it. The state agencies are created to comply with specific policies, with better mechanisms to ensure better management and control of results. Finally, the AAIs are assigned external regulatory or supervisory functions over economic sectors or specific activities that require functional independence or special autonomy from the executive branch.
There is a fourth and exceptional category of agencies. These are the management entities and common services of the Social Security, regulated in the Social Security Act of 2015.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Secretariat of State for International Cooperation">Secretary of State for International Cooperation">Secretariat of State for International Cooperation

Source:

Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes

Secretariat of State for Justice">Secretary of State for Justice (Spain)">Secretariat of State for Justice

[Undersecretariat of the Presidency]

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Ministry of Defence

Secretariat of State for Defence">Secretary of State for Defence (Spain)">Secretariat of State for Defence

Undersecretariat of Defence

  • Social Institute of the Armed Forces
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Ministry of Finance

Secretariat of State for Finance

Undersecretariat of Finance

Source:

Ministry of the Interior

Secretariat of State for Security">Secretary of State for Security">Secretariat of State for Security

  • State Security Infrastructure and Equipment Office

[Directorate-General of the Police]

  • National Police Training University Center

Undersecretariat of the Interior

Source:

Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility

Secretariat of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility

  • Centre for Public Works Studies and Experimentation

General Secretariat for Land Transport

General Secretariat for Air and Maritime Transport

Undersecretariat of Transport and Sustainable Mobility

Source:

Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports

Ministry of Labour and Social Economy

Secretariat of State for Labour

Source:

Ministry of Industry and Tourism

Secretariat of State for Industry

  • Spanish Metrology Centre

Secretariat of State for Tourism

Undersecretariat of Industry and Tourism

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Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

General Secretariat for Agrarian Resources and Food Security

Undersecretariat of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  • National Agency for Agricultural Insurance
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Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory

This Department has no agencies attached.

Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge

Secretariat of State for Energy">Secretary of State for Energy (Spain)">Secretariat of State for Energy

  • Institute for Just Transition

Secretariat of State for Environment

Directorate-General for Water

  • Commonwealth of the Taibilla Channels
  • Cantabrian Hydrographic Confederation
  • Duero Hydrographic Confederation
  • Ebro Hydrographic Confederation
  • Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation
  • Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation
  • Júcar Hydrographic Confederation
  • Miño-Sil Hydrographic Confederation
  • Segura Hydrographic Confederation
  • Tajo Hydrographic Confederation
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Ministry of Culture

Secretariat of State for Culture

Source:

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business

Secretariat of State for Economy and Business Support

Source:

Ministry of Health

Secretariat of State for Health

Source:

Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda

  • Royal Board on Disability

Secretariat of State for Social Rights

General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs and Gambling

Source:

Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities

General Secretariat for Research

General Secretariat for Universities

Source:

Ministry of Equality

Secretariat of State for Equality and against Gender Violence">Secretary of State for Equality">Secretariat of State for Equality and against Gender Violence

Source:

Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration

Secretariat of State for Social Security and Pensions

  • National Institute for Social Security
  • Social Institute for Sea Workers
  • Social Security General Treasury
  • Social Security IT Department
  • Legal Service of the Social Security Administration
Source:

Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service

Secretariat of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence

[Secretariat of State for the Civil Service]

Source:

Independent agencies

The independent agencies or independent administrative authorities are independent from the executive branch but relate to different government departments for budget allocation purposes.

Ministry of Finance and Civil Service

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility

  • Independent Authority for the Technical Investigation of Accidents and Incidents

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation

Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge

Ministry of Equality

  • Independent Authority for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination