Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 1979 in the context of "2006 Catalan Statute of Autonomy referendum"

The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006 (Catalan: Estatut d'Autonomia de Catalunya) provides Catalonia's basic institutional regulations under the Spanish Constitution of 1978. It defines the rights and obligations of the citizens of Catalonia, the political institutions of the Catalan community, their powers and relations with the rest of Spain and the European Union, and the financing of the Government of Catalonia.

This Law was passed by Spanish Parliament on 19 July 2006 and approved by referendum of the citizens of Catalonia on 18 June 2006 and replaced the 1979 Statute of Sau. The new statute sought to achieve clarification of powers and their protection from encroachment by the State, increased executive, legislative and fiscal powers and the recognition of Catalan nationhood. Although turnout at the referendum was low at 49.4%, approval was given by 73.9% and came into effect 9 August 2006.

A referendum on the reform of the Catalan Statute of Autonomy was held in Catalonia on Sunday, 18 June 2006. Voters were asked whether they ratified a statutory amendment which effectively approved a new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia. The draft Statute had been submitted to the consideration of the Spanish Cortes Generales earlier in the year, where it had been approved in both the Congress of Deputies on 30 March (with a 189–154 result) and in the Spanish Senate on 10 May (with a 128–125 result).

The question asked was "Do you approve of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia Bill?" (Catalan: Aprova el Projecte d'Estatut d'Autonomia de Catalunya?). The referendum resulted in 78.1% of valid votes in support of the bill on a turnout of 48.9%, and resulted in the approval of a new Statute of Autonomy replacing the 1979 Statute, which received royal assent on 19 July and was published in the Official State Gazette on 20 July 2006.

The Palau del Parlament de Catalunya (English: Palace of the Parliament of Catalonia; Spanish: Palacio del Parlamento de Cataluña) is the seat of the Parliament of Catalonia, located in Barcelona. It was built between 1717 and 1727 as the arsenal of the Ciutadella, to the designs of Jorge Próspero de Verboom.

After the Ciutadella was demolished in the mid-19th century, the building was used for various purposes, including a barracks, a royal palace and an art museum. The palace was the meeting place of the Parliament of Catalonia from 1932 to 1939, when it was dissolved during the Spanish Civil War. With the re-establishment of Parliament in 1980, the palace was renovated and it once again became the seat of Parliament.