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The TC suspends tax empty homes in Catalonia, the law of equality and local government

The Constitutional Court (TC) has been suspended, by admitting three laws passed by the Catalan Parliament appealed late last month by the Government. It is the law that taxes empty houses, the local government and the law of equality between men and women; and resources carry with the request of the interim suspension if they are admissible.

The orders released Tuesday, which were approved at the plenary session of the TC of the last week, agreed to transfer all actions to the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, and the Parliament and the Generalitat of Catalonia, which will have fifteen days to make themselves in the process and formulate the allegations they deem appropriate.

Admission involves the suspension of the validity and application of the three contested provisions as an automatic consequence of the invocation by the Government in its application of Article 161.2 of the Constitution.

That provision states that "The Government may appeal to the Constitutional Court the provisions and resolutions adopted by the bodies of the Autonomous Communities. The challenge about the suspension of the provision or contested decision, but the Court, if necessary, must either ratify or lift within a period not exceeding five months. "

Admission to the interim suspension pending and do not present a ruling on the merits of the appeal, which the Court resolved in judgment in coming days, according to court sources have indicated guarantees.

As explained last April 22 Justice Minister acting, Rafael Catala, at the press conference after the Council of Ministers, the impugnala government law establishing a tax on vacant apartments because the taxable event is already taxed in the current financing system of local government finances, which provides for penalties of up to 50 percent in the property Tax (IBI). A new tax on the same event, said, incurs "vice of unconstitutionality".

The other two laws affected, appealed because the central government estimates that invade their powers, are the Law 16/2015 related to the activity of local governments and the Law 17/2015 aimed at effective equality of men and women.

Catalá justified these resources in the "normal exercise of the powers of each government when it considers that another has acted beyond his powers". The Government, he said, has challenged 30 Catalan laws, as the Government has challenged almost fifty central government.

The law of effective equality fixed to different public policies aimed at promoting effective equality and empowerment, recognizing the role of associations defending the rights of women, states that in hiring and when allocating aid companies and organizations are prioritized having equality plans and determined that there should be parity in the collegiate bodies, courts and technical bodies administrations selection.

Also advocates a non-sexist education, the ban on toys and certain advertising and the promotion of reconciliation and the sharing of tasks.