Growth of 4%, equalling the rate shown in the last quarter of last year, sees the continuation of the long phase of expansion the Catalan economy is undergoing. The figures also show how the growth pattern of the Catalan economy is increasingly healthy and balanced, as industry gradually takes over from construction as the main growth vector. During this first quarter, industry's contribution to growth (0.64 points) has exceeded that of construction (0.43 points).
Is this success in part due to union-business-government partnership in Catalonia and isn't this a model of success that Wales could follow?
After a long process of consensus-building and social dialogue, the secretaries general of the CCOOCatalonia and UGT-Catalonia trade unions, the chairmen of Foment de Treball (Promotion of Employment, a Catalan business association), PIMEC (Catalan Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and FEPIME (Catalan Federation of Small and Medium Enterprise Owners) and the ministers of Economy and Finance, Employment and Industry and Trade, Tourism and Consumer Affairs of the Generalitat of Catalonia (the autonomous regional government) signed the Strategic Agreement to Promote the Internationalisation, Job Quality and Competitiveness of the Catalan Economy.