Public consultation on the reform of the Open Government Forum
Context
Article 133 of Law 39/2015, of 1 October, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations, in relation to article 26.2 of Law 50/1997, of 27 November, of the Government, establishes that, in order to improve the participation of citizens in the procedure of elaboration of the rules, a public consultation must be carried out through the web portal of the competent Administration. It will seek the opinion of the most representative subjects and organizations potentially affected by the future rule on:
a) The problems that are intended to be solved with the new regulations.
(b) The necessity and timeliness of its approval.
(c) The objectives of the rule.
d) Possible alternative regulatory and non-regulatory solutions.
In compliance with the above, and in accordance with the provisions of Order PRE/1590/2016, of October 3, which publishes the Agreement of Council of Ministers of September 30, 2016, which dictates instructions to enable public participation in the process of elaboration of regulations through the web portals of the ministerial departments, this prior public consultation is opened.
Citizens, organizations and associations that wish to do so may submit their comments until January 30, 2026 through the following form:
In the comments submitted, it will be necessary to record the identification data of the natural or legal person (name, surname, NIF) as well as the full name of the participating organization or association, where appropriate.
In this regard, it should be noted that only responses in which the person is identified will be taken into consideration.
In general, the contributions received will be considered to be open to public dissemination. Natural persons who do not want the publication of their identity must expressly state it. Likewise, those parts of the information submitted that, in the opinion of the persons concerned, should be treated confidentially and, consequently, should not be freely disseminated, should be specifically indicated in the text of the contribution itself.
Objective of the consultation
Collect the opinion of the citizens, organizations and interested actors on:
The needs for improvement or updating of the current regulation.
The opportunity to strengthen the normative framework of the Forum.
The objectives that the new standard should pursue.
Possible regulatory or non-regulatory alternatives.
Background to the rule
The Open Government Forum, created by Order HFP/134/2018, of February 15, constitutes the institutional space for structured dialogue between Public Administrations and civil society in Spain. Its mission is to channel proposals, debate action plans and share good practices, in coherence with the constitutional values of participation, political pluralism and improvement of democratic quality, as well as with the principles of transparency, accountability and citizen participation that inspire Spain’s accession to the Alliance for Open Government (OGP).
The IV Open Government Plan (2020–2024) was already co-created through the Forum, ensuring the active participation of Public Administrations —at their state, regional and local levels— and organized civil society.
Following the same methodology, the process of elaboration of the Fifth Open Government Plan (2025–2029) was also developed through the Forum, combining phases of active listening, public consultation and deliberative workshops. This approach allowed citizens’ proposals to be debated, prioritized and transformed into concrete commitments, thus reinforcing the collaborative and pluralistic nature of the Forum as a key instrument for the construction of open public policies.
On October 6, 2025, the Plenary of the Forum approved the V Open Government Plan. With this approval, a window of opportunity is opened not only to proceed with the renewal of the Forum, as established by the regulation that regulates it and in accordance with the standards of the OGP, but also to reinforce and improve its operation. This is an opportune moment to consolidate the Forum as a more inclusive, effective and representative space, in the interest of promoting the active participation of civil society and ensuring a plural environment for democratic dialogue.
Commitment 1 of the Fifth Plan, focused on the strengthening of participation and civic space, incorporates measure 1.3.1, which expressly contemplates the improvement of the Open Government Forum. This recognizes its essential role as a space for co-creation and structured dialogue between institutions and civil society, and as a guarantor of a plural and open environment for citizen participation.
Problems that are intended to be solved with the new standard
Strengthen its institutionality.
Improve its functioning.
Adapt it to the new participation standards included in the V Plan.
Consolidate its role as a permanent body of dialogue and co-creation between civil society and Public Administrations.
In this context, it is considered necessary to review and update the current regulations of the Forum, in order to:
Objectives of the standard
The normative initiative aims to update and strengthen the regulation of the Open Government Forum, currently regulated by Order HFP/134/2018, of February 15. Although the project is not included in the Annual Normative Plan, its elaboration is considered consistent with the principles of good regulation included in the plan, and responds to the fulfillment of Commitment 1 of the V Plan of Open Government, focused on the strengthening of participation and civic space. In particular, measure 1.3.1 provides for the improvement of the Open Government Forum as a key instrument for structured dialogue with civil society, recognizing its essential role in the co-creation of public policies and in the defense of a plural and open civic space for participation.
Likewise, in order to provide the Forum with a more solid legal framework and in accordance with the standards of the Alliance for Open Government (OGP), it is necessary to resort to article 22 of Law 40/2015, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, which establishes the creation of collegiate bodies through royal decree. In this way, the Forum will be able to be covered in the appropriate legal form, strengthening its institutional legitimacy and ensuring its functioning as a stable space for participation and dialogue between Public Administrations and civil society.
