The Ministry of Consumer Affairs was a department of the

Government of Spain The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the ...

responsible for policies regarding the protection and defense of

consumer rights Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent businesse ...

, as well as the regulation, authorization, supervision, control and, where appropriate, sanction of state-level gambling and gaming activities. The department was created by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...

as part of the

Sánchez II Government Sánchez is a Spanish family name. Historical origins "The illustrious Sanchez Family... is descended from one of a number of Gothic knights (caballeros) who in the year 714 escaped from the ‘barbara furia’ of the Mohammedan invasion and to ...

and it is the first time that a ministry is created to be focused on consumer affairs. It took on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare regarding consumer affairs; as well as the responsibilities of the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

in gambling matters. It was abolished on 20 November 2023 and its powers were integrated in the

Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda The Ministry of Social Affairs (MAS), since 2023 known as Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda, is a department of the Government of Spain responsible for the government policies on social services, family, minors protect ...

. It was overseen by the minister for Consumer Affairs;

Alberto Garzón Alberto Carlos Garzón Espinosa (; born 9 October 1985) is a Spanish former politician and economist. He was the Minister of Consumer Affairs from 2020 to 2023. He has been a member of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) and United Left (''Iz ...

, was the only officeholder.

Structure

The Ministry was structured as follows: * The General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs and Gambling. ** The Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs. *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Coordination, Quality and Consumer Cooperation. *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Arbitration and Consumer Rights. ** The Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling. *** The Deputy Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling. *** The Deputy Directorate-General for Gambling Inspection. * The Undersecretariat of Consumer Affairs. ** The Technical General Secretariat.

Agencies and other bodies

* The

Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) is a regulatory agency of the Government of Spain responsible for promoting food safety and for providing guarantees and objective information to consumers and economic agents of the Spanish ...

. * The Research and Quality Control Center. * The Advisory Council for Responsible Gaming * The National Commission to fight the manipulation of sports competitions and betting fraud.

List of officeholders

Office name: *Ministry of Consumer Affairs (2020–2023)

References

Ministries established in 2020 2020 establishments in Spain

Consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

{{Spain-gov-stub