Royal Decree 839/1996, of May 10, proceeded to modify the organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs up to the level of Director General.

This restructuring has forced a readjustment and redistribution of functions of the departments of the Department with the level of Deputy Director General.

This new restructuring, adapting to the structure established by the aforementioned Royal Decree, aims to enable the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue to cope with operability and efficiency, and with the connotations It is the Department's own competence, which has, moreover, been multiplied in recent years as a result of an unprecedented stage of increasing projection of Spain in the international context.

In its virtue, at the initiative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the proposal of the Minister of Public Administration and after deliberation of the Council of Ministers of August 2, 1996,

D I S P O N G O: Article 1. General organization of the Department.

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible, in accordance with the guidelines of the Government and in application of the principle of unity of action abroad, for the functions of promoting, projecting, directing and implementing the Foreign Policy of the State; to coordinate their relations with other States and international organisations, in particular with Latin America and the European Union; to defend the interests and to carry out an adequate and effective policy of protecting Spanish citizens; abroad; promoting economic, cooperative, cultural and scientific relations of Spain, and participate, in the sphere of action that it has its own, in the proposal and implementation of the foreign policy.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is structured in the following higher bodies and management centres:

1. The Secretariat of State for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, on which the following bodies depend:

(a) General Secretariat for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, with the rank of Undersecretary.

b) Directorate-General for Technical Affairs of the European Union.

c) General Directorate of Foreign Policy for Europe and North America.

d) General Directorate of Foreign Policy for Latin America.

e) General Directorate of Foreign Policy for Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

f) Directorate General for the United Nations, Security and Disarmament.

2. The Secretariat of State for International Cooperation and for Latin America, on which the following management centers depend:

a) Directorate General of Cultural and Scientific Relations.

b) Directorate General for International Economic Relations.

3. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, on which the following management centres depend:

(a) Technical General Secretariat.

b) Directorate General of the Foreign Service.

c) General Directorate of Protocol, Chancellery and Orders.

d) Directorate-General for Legal and Consular Affairs.

4. It directly depends on the head of the Department of the Directorate-General of the Diplomatic Information Office.

5. As an immediate assistance body to the Minister, there is a Cabinet, with an organic level of Directorate General, with the structure set out in Article 12 of Royal Decree 839/1996 of 10 May.

6. It also depends on the head of the Department, a Cabinet of Analysis and Foreign Policy Forecast, with an organic level of Subdirección General, which corresponds to the study and evaluation of foreign policy issues.

7. The head of the Department is assisted by a Higher Council of Foreign Affairs whose composition and functions are governed by specific provisions and whose holder has an organic level of Deputy Director General.

Article 2. State Secretary for Foreign Policy and for the European Union.

1. The Secretariat of State for Foreign Policy and for the European Union assists the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the formulation and implementation of the Foreign Policy, in particular at the level of the European Union.

In addition, it coordinates the actions of public administrations in the European Union and maintains the necessary relations, through the normally established channels, with the competent bodies of the European Union. General administration of the State as with the Autonomous and Local Administrations.

2. The Secretary of State exercises the responsibilities inherent in his or her responsibility for management and in particular, drives the achievement of the objectives and the execution of the projects of his organization, controlling its compliance, supervising and coordinating the activities of the management bodies attached and issuing instructions to their holders.

3. It also exercises, within the scope of the Secretariat of State, the powers conferred on the Minister in respect of budgetary implementation, with the limits laid down by the Minister, and concludes the contracts relating to the matters of the Secretariat of State. as the conventions not reserved to the Minister or the Council of Ministers.

4. It resolves the actions brought against the decisions of the governing bodies directly dependent on it and whose acts do not exhaust the administrative route, as well as the conflicts of privileges between those bodies.

5. As a body of immediate assistance to the Secretary of State, there is a Cabinet, with an organic level of sub-directorate general, with the structure set out in Article 12 of Royal Decree 839/1996 of 10 May.

6. The Secretariat of State is attached to the Inter-Ministerial Commission for European Union Affairs, which is governed by specific provisions.

Article 3. Secretary-General for Foreign Policy and for the European Union.

1. The General Secretariat for Foreign Policy and for the European Union collaborates with the Secretary of State for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, who directly depends on the functions of assistance to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the the formulation and implementation of foreign policy, in particular at the level of the European Union, coordinating the work of the competent bodies of the General Administration of the State.

The Secretary-General exercises the responsibilities inherent in his or her responsibility for management and those delegated to him by the Secretary of State, and in particular, he promotes the achievement of the objectives and the execution of the projects of the Spanish foreign policy, monitoring their compliance, monitoring and coordinating the activities of the governing bodies attached to them and giving instructions to their holders.

2. In addition to the Management Centres listed in Article 1.2.1 it is functionally dependent on the Secretary-General, the Ambassador to the Special Mission for Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union, Political Director, appointed by the Council of Ministers, on a proposal from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with the functions described in this Royal Decree.

3. In addition, the following units are directly dependent on the Secretary-General:

a) Technical Cabinet, which is the immediate assistance body to the Secretary-General in the performance of his duties.

(b) Deputy Director-General for Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is the body responsible for the preparation and follow-up of meetings of the Political Committee and the General Affairs Council of the European Union, on concerning the common foreign and security policy.

(c) Deputy Director-General for the Coordination of General Affairs of the European Union, which is the body responsible for assisting the Secretary-General for Foreign Policy and the European Union in the preparation of Council meetings General for General Affairs of the European Union.

(d) Human Rights Office, which is the body to which the coordination, together with the Directorates General concerned, of Spain's foreign policy in the field of protection and promotion of human rights.

Article 4. Directorate-General for Technical Affairs of the European Union.

1. Under the dependence of the Secretary-General for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, the Directorate-General for Technical Affairs of the European Union is responsible for monitoring the Union's sectoral policies and issues, as well as for the coordination of the actions in the same departments of the Ministries responsible for the reason of the matter, through the normally established channels.

It also corresponds to the control function of the process of transposition of directives in Spanish legislation and of the notifications of the proposals for State aid to the European Commission; the instruction of the the infringement procedures initiated by the Commission before the Kingdom of Spain and the advice in general on the legal issues of the Union.

2. In order to comply with these functions, the Directorate-General is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

(a) Subdirectorate-General for Inter-Ministerial Affairs and Coordination of Sectoral Information.

(b) Subdirectorate-General for Agricultural Affairs and Fisheries.

(c) Subdirectorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs.

(d) Subdirectorate General for Customs and Commercial Matters.

e) Subdirectorate General for Industrial, Energy, Transport and Communications and the Environment.

f) Subdirectorate-General for Social, Educational, Cultural and Health and Consumer Affairs.

g) Deputy Director-General for Legal Affairs of the European Union.

3. The units referred to in the previous paragraph, in addition to the tasks assigned to them by the Director-General, correspond to the following basic functions:

The Subdirectorate-General for Inter-Ministerial Affairs and Coordination of Sectoral Information is responsible for the preparation of the meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for European Union Affairs; the coordination of the instructions to the Permanent Representation drawn up by the rest of the sub-directorates-general; the coordination of answers to parliamentary questions and the process of setting the Spanish position in horizontal cases.

(b) The Deputy Directorate-General for Agricultural Affairs and Fisheries is responsible for coordinating the process of setting the Spanish position in the European Union's Agriculture and Fisheries Councils on the agri-food issues of the European Union. Council of the Internal Market and the various Community Committees on Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as the process of submitting applications for Union aid in these areas.

(c) The Subdirectorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs is responsible for the control of financial relations with the European Union, in collaboration with the Delegated Intervention, as well as the coordination of the process of the Spanish position in the Union on economic and financial matters and the process of submitting applications for Union aid in various areas.

(d) The Subdirectorate-General for Customs and Commercial Affairs is responsible for coordinating the process of establishing the Spanish position in the European Union in matters of trade, customs and customs and matters. Related taxes.

e) The Subdirectorate General for Industrial, Energy, Transport and Communications and the Environment is responsible for the coordination of the process of establishing the Spanish position in the European Union. matters, as well as the coordination of the other sub-directorates-general of the Directorate-General for the preparation of the Internal Market Council of the European Union.

(f) The Subdirectorate-General for Social, Educational, Cultural and Health and Consumer Affairs is responsible for coordinating the process of establishing the Spanish position in the European Union in these matters, as well as in the process of (a) the submission of aid from the Union in these matters.

(g) The General Secretariat for Legal Affairs of the European Union is responsible for the Community legal advice to public administrations; the management of the Union institutions in the notification of State aid; the development of responses to the infringement proceedings against Spain in its pre-litigation stages and the preparation of responses in the investigation procedures.

The coordination, monitoring and notification of the transposition of the Community directives into law, as well as the preparation, monitoring and coordination of actions before the Court of Justice, is also the responsibility of the Court of Justice. Justice of the European Union.

Finally, it is up to him to coordinate the process of establishing the Spanish position in the Working Groups of the Council of Ministers of Legal Content and in the Advisory Committee on the Internal Market.

Article 5. Ambassador to the European Union Special Mission for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)-Political Director.

Under the functional dependence of the Secretary-General for Foreign Policy, the Ambassador to the Special Mission for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, appointed by the Council of Ministers, on a proposal from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign policy, representing Spain in the Political Committee of the European Union, thus contributing to the formation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and ensuring the concordance of the Spanish foreign policy with the common positions and common actions of the European Union, within the meaning of Articles J, 2 and J, 3 of the Treaty on European Union, European Union.

Article 6. Directorate-General for Foreign Policy for Europe and North America.

1. Under the dependence of the Secretary General of Foreign Policy and for the European Union it is up to the Directorate General of Foreign Policy for Europe and North America the proposal and implementation of the Foreign Policy in the geographical area corresponding.

2. For the performance of the functions identified, the Directorate-General is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

a) Subdirectorate General of Western Europe.

(b) Central and Southern European Subdirectorate General.

c) General sub-direction of Eastern Europe.

d) North American Subdirection General.

The defense and promotion of the interests of Spain in the respective regions, as well as the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries that compose them, are the responsibility of the subdirectorates-general.

Article 7. Dirección General de Política Exterior para Iberoamerica.

1. Under the dependence of the Secretary General of Foreign Policy and for the European Union, it is up to the General Directorate of Foreign Policy for Ibero-America to propose and implement the Foreign Policy in the corresponding geographical area.

2. For the performance of the functions identified, the Directorate-General is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

a) Subdirectorate General of Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Countries.

b) Subdirectorate General of Andean Countries, Brazil and Silver Basin.

The defense and promotion of the interests of Spain in the respective regions, as well as the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries that compose them, are the responsibility of the subdirectorates-general.

Article 8. Directorate-General for Foreign Policy for Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

1. Under the dependence of the Secretary General for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, it is up to the Directorate-General for Foreign Policy for Africa, Asia and the Pacific to propose and implement the Foreign Policy in the geographical area. corresponding.

2. For compliance with the above mentioned functions, the Directorate-General is structured in the following management bodies:

a) North Africa's Deputy General Directorate.

b) Sub-Saharan Africa's General Subdirectorate.

c) Middle East Subdirectorate General.

d) General Sub-direction of Continental Asia.

(e) Philippine Subdirectorate General and Pacific Affairs.

The subdirectorates general are responsible for the defense and promotion of the interests of Spain in the respective regions, as well as the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries that compose them.

Article 9. Directorate-General for the United Nations, Security and Disarmament.

1. Under the dependence of the Secretary-General for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, it is up to the Directorate-General for the United Nations, Security and Disarmament to propose and implement the foreign policy in the field of The United Nations and the International Technical Agencies, as well as international security and disarmament issues.

2. For compliance with the above mentioned functions, the Directorate-General is structured in the following units with an organic level of Subdirection General:

(a) Deputy Director General of the United Nations.

b) Deputy Director General of Technical International Organizations.

c) Subdirectorate General for International Security Affairs.

d) Subdirectorate General for International Affairs of Disarmament.

3. The units referred to in the previous paragraph are responsible for the following functions:

1. To the United Nations Subdirectorate-General, questions of a political and legal nature related to the action of the principal organs of the United Nations, as well as the subsidiary bodies, committees and groups of dependent work on those.

2. The Deputy Director General of Technical International Organizations corresponds to the coordination of the Spanish position in the international technical agencies and their subsidiary bodies, in the specialized agencies of the The United Nations system and the economic and social sector of the Organization.

3. The Deputy Director General of International Security Affairs is responsible, among other functions, for the preparation of decisions and positions of Spain on international security and defense issues, both at bilateral level as a multilateral.

4. The General Secretariat for International Affairs of Disarmament is responsible for monitoring the general activities and negotiations on disarmament and arms control within the framework of the European Union, the United Nations and the other specific fora in which Spain participates, as well as the follow-up to the general verification of the disarmament and arms control agreements of which Spain is a party.

Article 10. Secretary of State for International Cooperation and for Latin America.

1. The Secretariat of State for International Cooperation and for Ibero-America assists the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the formulation and implementation of the Development Cooperation and Economic, Cultural and Economic Relations (a) scientific, coordinating the activities carried out in these areas by other bodies of the General Administration of the State, through the bodies normally established for the purpose, and without prejudice to the provisions of Article 8.2 of the Law 13/1986, of 14 April, on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology.

2. The Secretary of State exercises the responsibilities inherent in his or her responsibility for management and in particular, drives the achievement of the objectives and the execution of the projects of his organization, controlling its compliance, supervising and coordinating the activities of the management bodies attached and issuing instructions to their holders.

3. It exercises the powers conferred on the Minister in the field of budgetary implementation, with the limits laid down by it, and welcomes the contracts relating to matters of the Secretariat of State, as well as the conventions not reserved to the Minister or to the Council of Ministers.

4. It resolves the actions brought against the decisions of the governing bodies directly dependent on it and whose acts do not exhaust the administrative route, as well as the conflicts of privileges between those bodies.

5. As a body of immediate assistance to the Secretary of State, there is a Cabinet, with an organic level of sub-directorate general, with the structure set out in Article 12 of Royal Decree 839/1996 of 10 May.

6. It also depends directly on the Secretary of State for the Office of Planning and Evaluation, with an organic level of general subdirection.

7. It is up to the Secretary of State to chair the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, which is governed by specific provisions.

8. The Inter-Ministerial Commission for International Cooperation and the Development Cooperation Council are attached to the Secretariat of State for specific provisions.

9. It is attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Secretariat of State of International Cooperation and for Ibero-America, the Instituto Cervantes, which is regulated by specific provisions.

Article 11. Directorate-General for International Economic Relations.

1. It is the responsibility of the Directorate-General for International Economic Relations, within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the elaboration, proposal and implementation of foreign policy in the following areas:

(a) Bilateral international economic relations.

b) Economic, technical and development relations with specialized multilateral organizations.

(c) Cooperation in the field of international communications and energy matters.

2. In order to comply with these functions, the Directorate-General is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

(a) General Sub-Directorate of Bilateral Economic Relations with Europe and OECD Countries.

(b) General Sub-Directorate of Bilateral Economic Relations with Non-European Countries and OECD.

c) Subdirectorate General for Multilateral Economic Relations and Air, Maritime and Land Cooperation.

3. It corresponds to the organic units identified in the previous paragraph, without prejudice in any case of coordination with the Departments with competence in the field, the development of the following functions:

1. The General Sub-Directorate of Bilateral Economic Relations with Europe and the OECD, the preparation and follow-up of the economic relations of Spain with the European countries and the OECD.

2. The General Sub-Directorate of Bilateral Economic Relations with Non-European Countries and OECD, the preparation and follow-up of the economic relations of Spain with the countries of the rest of the world.

3. To the Subdirectorate General for Multilateral Economic Relations and Air, Maritime and Terrestrial Cooperation, the preparation and follow-up of relations with the specialized, financial, multilateral organizations for the cooperation, development, trade, energy and space issues, and the preparation and monitoring of policies for the development of air, sea and land communications, as well as the negotiation of agreements international air, sea and land transport.

Article 12. Directorate-General for Cultural and Scientific Relations.

1. It is for the Directorate-General for Cultural Relations and Scientific Affairs to exercise the powers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with regard to the Spanish cultural and scientific foreign policy, through the elaboration, proposal and application of the same in the following areas:

1. Spain's institutional cultural relations with the outside world.

2. Cultural Action Abroad.

3. International scientific and environmental relations. 2. For the performance of these functions, the General Directorate is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

a) Subdirectorate General of International Cultural Relations.

b) Subdirectorate General of Foreign Cultural Action.

c) Subdirectorate General of International Scientific Relations.

3. It corresponds to the units mentioned in the previous section, the development of the competencies of the Directorate General of Cultural Relations and Scientific Relations according to the following functions:

1. The Subdirectorate General of International Cultural Relations plans, coordinates and performs tasks of monitoring and evaluating the cultural relations of Spain with other countries and international organizations by means of Agreements and Conventions and the corresponding Joint Committees to develop them. It also ensures and coordinates the institutional presence of Spain in international cultural bodies.

2. The Subdirección General de Acción Cultural Exterior elaborates, proposes and manages cultural action abroad, derived from the commitments made in Agreements and Conventions signed by Spain. It also promotes and disseminates Spanish culture abroad, mainly through diplomatic and consular representations.

3. The Deputy Director General of International Scientific Relations, plans, coordinates and performs tasks for the execution and evaluation of the relations of Spain, both bilateral and multilateral, in the fields of science and environment. It also ensures and coordinates the institutional presence of Spain in international scientific bodies.

Article 13. Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

1. It is up to the Deputy Foreign Secretary, under the authority of the Minister, to exercise the powers referred to in Article 15 of the Law on the Legal Regime of the State Administration, as well as the direction, and supervision of the management centres and units in which the Secretariat is structured.

2. In particular, it is for the Secretariat, provided that they are not expressly attributed to other senior bodies or management centres of the Department, the following functions:

(a) The elaboration and coordination of the Department's overall budget policy plans.

b) The performance of the top leadership of all the personnel of the Ministry and the management and administration of human resources.

c) Wealth management, economic and financial management.

d) The control and inspection of the Department's activity.

e) The elaboration and processing of draft general provisions, permanent legal advice to those responsible for administrative management, the formulation of proposals for the resolution of administrative resources, as well as relations with the courts.

f) Institutional relations with other departments and public administrations.

g) The development of the Department's IT plan and the management of infrastructure and communications, as well as technical advice and assistance in information technology.

h) The management of general administrative services and the dispatch of matters not attributed to the competence of other higher bodies of the Ministry.

i) The Department's performance in consular matters and in matters of Justice and Interior, in accordance with the provisions of this Royal Decree.

j) The protocol functions of the Department.

k) The selection and training of officials of the Diplomatic Career.

(l) Those expressly attributed by specific provisions.

3. The following units with an organic level of general subdirection are directly dependent on the Subsecretariat:

a) Technical Cabinet, as an organ of support and direct assistance to the Assistant Secretary.

(b) General Inspection of Services, to which the functions laid down in the corresponding provisions of internal order are responsible.

(c) Budget Office, which corresponds to the implementation of the tasks referred to in Royal Decree 2855/1979 of 21 December 1979 establishing the Budgetary Offices.

d) International Legal Counsel, an advisory body for the entire Department of International Law.

4. They are attached to the Secretariat, without prejudice to their functional dependence on the Ministries of Justice and Economy and Finance, respectively, the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

(a) The Legal Service of the Department, with the functions assigned to it by the provisions in force.

b) The Delegated Intervention of the General Intervention of the State Administration, with the functions that the current rules attribute to it.

5. It is up to the Undersecretary, the Diplomatic School, with an organic level of general sub-direction, which is governed by its specific provisions.

6. The Secretariat, the Interministerial Committees on Limits with Portugal and France, and the Border Rivers, whose composition and operation are governed by their specific provisions, are also attached.

7. The Under-Secretary is the chair of the following collegiate bodies, as well as those whose specific provisions are attributed to him:

a) Committee on Remuneration.

b) Budget Committee.

c) Publications Advisory Commission.

d) Computer Commission.

Article 14. Technical General Secretariat.

1. Under the immediate dependence of the Assistant Secretary, the General Technical Secretariat performs the general functions assigned to it by Article 19 of the Law of Legal Regime of the State Administration, as well as the processing and reporting of the matters submitted to the Commission of Secretaries of State and Undersecretaries, the processing and custody of the International Treaties in which Spain is a party, the coordination of the institutional relations of the Department, the functions relating to Planning and assistance for information, management of scales and overflights of ships and aircraft of the State and foreign officers, and those functions specifically entrusted to him by the Undersecretary.

2. The Technical General Secretariat is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

(a) Technical General ViceGeneral.

b) General Computer Subdirection

3. The units referred to in the preceding paragraph correspond to the following functions:

1. The study and report of the subjects to be submitted to the deliberation of the Commission of Secretaries of State and Undersecretaries and the Council of Ministers, as well as the (i) the handling of cases raised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to such bodies.

It also corresponds to the elaboration and processing of the general provisions in the department's own matters, the report of those elaborated by other Ministries and the actions related to the publication of the provisions and administrative acts of the Department in the "Official State Gazette".

Also exercises functions concerning official publications, documentation, general archive, library, and translation and interpretation of languages.

2. The elaboration and execution of the Department's computer plans and the functions related to the computer applications that are required, as well as the information, are the responsibility of the Department of Information. technical assistance to users.

4. By delegation of the Deputy Secretary, the Technical Secretary-General chairs the Publications Advisory Commission and the Ministerial Commission of Informatics.

Article 15. Directorate-General of the Foreign Service.

1. It is for the Directorate-General of the External Service, under the direction of the Deputy Secretary, the exercise of the functions relating to internal arrangements, administrative information, wealth management and works, economic and financial management and management. personnel.

Also, it is up to the processing and proposal of the resolution of the administrative resources, of the prelitigation to the judicial, civil or labor, and of the procedures of review of the actions of the acts Department of Administration.

2. The following units are dependent on the General Directorate of the External Service:

a) Major Official.

b) General Staff Subdirectorate.

c) General Administration and Management Control Subdirection.

d) Subdirectorate General of Heritage Affairs.

3. It is for the units referred to in the preceding paragraph the exercise of the following functions:

1. To the General Staff, the related infrastructure, communications and security of the Ministry.

2. To the General Staff Subdirectorate, the management of official and labor personnel, with a destination both inside and outside, as well as their remuneration.

3. To the General Secretariat for Administration and Control of Management, Accounting and Accounting Management and Monitoring of the appropriations of Chapter II, except for Article 21, the control of expenditure and revenue of the Ministry of Foreign affairs and consular collection.

4. To the General Subdirectorate of Property Affairs, the management and budgetary control of the items of Chapter VI and of the acquisitions, works and maintenance of buildings.

Article 16. Directorate-General for Protocol, Chancellery and Orders.

1. Under the direct dependency of the Assistant Secretary, the Directorate-General for Protocol, Chancellery and Orders performs the following functions:

(a) Preparation, coordination, direction and execution of official acts and ceremonies related to the foreign policy of the State, taking place in the national territory and abroad, especially official travel of SS. MM. the Kings and the visits of the foreign heads of state.

b) Study, management and control, in compliance with the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations, and other regulations, on all matters related to diplomatic missions accredited in Spain, their Consular Offices and International Organizations with headquarters or office in our country.

c) Initiation, management and conclusion of the cases of granting of the Orders of Isabel la Catolica y Merito Civil, whose Foreign Ministry is located in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Orders of which the Foreign Ministry in the future in this Ministerial Department.

The Director General, with the rank and treatment of Ambassador, is also the Ambassador of Ambassadors.

2. For the purposes of these functions, the General Direction of Protocol, Chancellery and Orders is structured in the following units with an organic level of general sub-direction:

a) General Subdirection of Travel and Official Visits, Ceremonial and Orders.

b) General Secretariat of the Foreign Ministry.

3. The units mentioned in the above section correspond to the following functions:

1. To the General Subdirection of Travel and Official Visits, Ceremonial and Orders, the holder of which receives the name of the Second Ambassador of Ambassadors:

a) To assume all the competencies of the Director-General or First Ambassador of Ambassadors in his absence.

b) Prepare, coordinate and execute the official visits of Heads of State and Foreign Ministers of Foreign Affairs to Spain, as well as the State travel of SS. MM. the Kings of Spain.

c) To process the cases of decorations of the Orders of the Civil Merit and Isabel the Catholic.

2. A to the General Secretariat of Chancery:

a) Manage how many issues may be of interest to the proper functioning of the embassies, Consulates and International Organizations accredited in Spain that are the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

b) Manage the administrative, economic and budgetary affairs of the Directorate-General.

Article 17. Directorate-General for Legal and Consular Affairs.

1. Under the direct dependence of the Undersecretary, it is up to the Directorate General for Legal and Consular Affairs to coordinate the action of the Spanish Consular Offices for the management of the services of the General Administration of the State. on the outside. In particular, it is the responsibility of the proposal and the implementation of the policy on protection and assistance to Spanish citizens abroad and in the field of immigration and asylum, in the sphere of action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and without (a) to the detriment of the powers conferred on other departments in these matters, with which the Directorate-General for Legal and Consular Affairs maintains appropriate coordination.

The follow-up and coordination of actions to the institutions of the European Union in the field of Justice and Home Affairs is also responsible.

It also coordinates Spanish action under the Schengen Agreement, under the guidelines of the Secretary of State for Foreign Policy and the European Union.

2. They depend on the Directorate-General for Legal and Consular Affairs on the following units, with an organic level of general sub-direction:

(a) Subdirectorate General for Consular Affairs.

(b) Subdirectorate-General for Legal Affairs.

(c) Subdirectorate-General for Justice and Home Affairs.

(d) Subdirectorate-General for Social Affairs.

e) Subdirectorate General of Foreign Affairs.

3. It is for the units referred to in the preceding paragraph the exercise of the following functions:

1. To the Subdirectorate General of Consular Affairs, the coordination of the action of the Consular Offices for the management of the services of the State Administration abroad, as well as the proposal and execution of the policy of protection of Spaniards abroad.

2. The Deputy Director General for Legal Affairs, the coordination of consular powers in civil and judicial matters, in particular with regard to extraditions, as well as the monitoring of the negotiation and implementation of the international treaties relating to consular action.

3. To the Subdirectorate-General for Justice and Home Affairs, the coordination of actions in these matters in the institutions of the European Union, as well as in the framework of the Schengen Agreement.

4. The Subdirectorate General for Social Affairs, the proposal and the implementation of the actions in the field of social assistance of the Spanish abroad, in particular in the matter of socorros and repatriations, as well as the coordination of the electoral census of residents absent and electoral participation of the Spanish abroad and the follow-up of the Councils of Residents Abroad.

5. The proposal and implementation of the policy on immigration and asylum, in particular the management of the issue of visas, as well as the coordination of the issue of immigration and asylum. passports abroad.

Article 18. Directorate-General of the Diplomatic Information Office.

1. Under the direct dependency of the Minister, the Directorate-General of the Diplomatic Information Office serves as the sole official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prepares the press conferences of the Minister and Senior Charges of the Department and facilitates to its holder the information obtained through the various informative channels, also providing information to the Missions Foreign diplomats accredited in Spain as well as the Permanent Missions and Representations of Spain Abroad.

2. For the purposes of the above tasks, the Directorate-General has the following unit with an organic level of general sub-directorate: General sub-directorate of the Diplomatic Information Office.

In addition to the functions assigned to you by the Director-General, this Subdirectorate is responsible for the economic management of the Directorate-General, the preparation of its budget and the management of the publications published by it.

Additional disposition first. Removal of organs.

The following units with general subdirection organic level are deleted:

(a) The Technical Cabinet of the Secretary-General for the European Union.

b) The Technical Cabinet of the Secretary General of Foreign Policy.

(c) The General Coordination of Community Coordination for Agricultural and Fisheries Affairs.

d) The General Secretariat for Community Coordination for Economic, Financial and Social Affairs.

e) The General Secretariat for Community Coordination for Customs and Commercial Affairs.

f) The General Secretariat for Community Coordination for Industrial, Energy and Transport and Communications.

g) The General Secretariat for Community Coordination for Legal Affairs.

(h) The General Coordination of Community Coordination for Institutional Relations.

i) The General Subdirectorate of International Technical and Development Organizations.

j) The General Subdirectorate for Multilateral Economic Relations and Development.

k) The General Sub-Directorate of Bilateral Economic Relations with Europe.

l) The General Sub-directorate for Bilateral Economic Relations with Non-European Countries.

m) The General Subdirectorate of Air, Maritime and Land Cooperation.

n) The Subdirectorate General for International Cultural Cooperation.

n) The General Subdirectorate of Cultural Institutions Abroad.

or) The General Secretariat for Scientific-Technical Cooperation.

p) The General Subdirectorate for the Protection of Spanish Abroad.

q) The Subdirectorate General for Social Action and Electoral Participation in the Foreign Office.

r) The General Subdirectorate of Conventions and Consular Legal Cooperation.

s) The General Subdirectorate of Foreign Affairs, Refugees and Passports.

t) The First General Subdirection of Protocol.

u) The Second General Subdirection of Protocol.

v) The Economic Advisory.

x) The General Subdirection of Institutional Relations and Organization.

and) The Vice Chair of the Hispanic-American Standing Committee.

Additional provision second. Collegiate bodies.

Collegiate bodies of the Department, whose composition and functions are of a purely ministerial level, may be regulated, modified or deleted by the Order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, although their rules of creation or modification has a range of Royal Decree.

Transitional disposition. Units and jobs with lower organic level than general sub-direction.

Units and jobs with a lower organic level than a general sub-directorate will continue to remain and will be paid from the same budget appropriations, until the corresponding jobs adapted to the organic structure of this Royal Decree. Such adaptation, in no case, will be able to generate an increase in public expenditure and, even, the possible decrease in costs that the application of this Royal Decree can entail will not be compensated in future restructurings or to finance changes in the relationship between jobs.

The posts in the organs deleted by this Royal Decree will be provisionally attached, by means of a resolution of the Under-Secretary, until the new employment relationship, to the bodies governed by this Royal Decree, depending on the powers assigned to them.

Repeal provision. Regulatory repeal.

The Royal Decrees 1485/1985, of 28 August; 1527/1988 of 11 November; 1574/1993 of 10 September, and 205/1995 of 10 February, on the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are hereby repealed. as all those provisions or part thereof, of lower or equal rank, which are contrary to the provisions of this Royal Decree.

Final disposition first. Powers of development.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is hereby authorized to make any provisions necessary for the development and implementation of the provisions of this Royal Decree.

Final disposition second. Budgetary changes.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance will carry out the necessary budgetary changes for the fulfillment of the provisions of this Royal Decree.

Final disposition third. Entry into force.

This Royal Decree will enter into force on 2 September 1996.

Given in Palma de Mallorca to 2 August 1996.

JOHN CARLOS R.

The Minister of Public Administration,

MARIANO RAJOY BREY