Ituna Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies
About us
The Ituna Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies is a project established in 2007 as a result of a collaboration agreement between the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The Provincial Councils of Gipuzkoa and Araba have also signed agreements to support the Center’s objectives. Furthermore, Ituna Center collaborates with several UPV/EHU departments, including Contemporary History, Public Policies and Economic History, Public Law, and Didactics of Social Sciences. Currently, it operates two locations open to the public, one at the Faculty of Social and Communication Sciences (Leioa) and the other at the Faculty of Economics and Business (Sarriko).
Since its inception, the Center has offered a Documentation Service aimed at collecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminating information on the Economic Agreement and Arrangement, Provincial Tax Authorities, the Basque tax system, and, more generally, fiscal or financial decentralization and federalism. For over ten years, Ituna Center has continuously gathered and organized a variety of information sources such as press articles, scientific production, and audiovisual resources. This comprehensive database serves researchers, academic outlets, institutions, professionals, and the general public. This database also provides an ideal platform for analyzing “big data,” diving deeper into established fields of study, and opening fertile ground for exploring new research avenues.


In addition to the Documentation Service, the Center has become a meeting point and reference for researchers working in related areas of study. It provides resources and support for students wishing to complete their undergraduate or master’s thesis, as well as for pre- and post-doctoral researchers and all types of national and international scholars.
Lastly, Ituna Center promotes, disseminates, and advances knowledge of the Economic Agreement, the Arrangement, and the Basque tax system, especially within the Basque, Spanish, and European public opinion, as well as other international spheres. It positions the Basque case within international research currents on fiscal federalism. In this regard, Ituna Center publishes the Basque Economic Agreement Newsletter, organizes seminars, contributes to the production of scientific publications, and collaborates with other entities and institutions to spread knowledge about the Agreement, the Arrangement, and the Basque tax system.


Research areas
The Ituna Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies develops three main research areas:
The Economic Agreement and the Basque Tax System
The Economic Agreement | The Economic Arrangement | The Provincial Tax Authorities | The Basque Tax System: Tax and Budgetary Policy of the Basque Public Sector
Fiscal decentralization and comparative tax systems
Theory of Fiscal Federalism: Fiscal and Financial Decentralization | Spanish Regional Financing System | European Union and the Process of European Fiscal and Economic Integration: Analytical Comparison of Tax Systems
Public institutions and the study of political elites
Prosopography or Collective Biography of Actors: Social Groups, Political Elites, and Public Administrators | Analysis and Evolution of Representative Assemblies, Parliaments, and Public Institutions
Networking
Ituna Center collaborates with other entities and institutions to achieve its goal of promoting and disseminating the Basque Economic Agreement and Provincial Tax Authorities. To this end, it produces scientific publications and participates in seminars, conferences, and presentations, contributing to the development of informed public opinion on the Basque Economic Agreement and the Basque Tax System.
Researchers of the Ituna Center for Basque Economic Agreement and Fiscal Federalism Studies
Meet Our Researchers and Collaborators
Ituna Center has a team of permanent researchers and external collaborators. These individuals work towards fulfilling the Center’s goals in line with its research lines. In this way, knowledge of the Basque Economic Agreement and Provincial Tax Authorities, as well as the Basque tax system, is expanded through their scientific output and participation in seminars and a variety of outreach activities. The permanent staff also keep the Center up-to-date by publishing a monthly newsletter, which includes the latest scientific developments as well as the most relevant and current news related to the Basque fiscal system.