Barcelona’s Zona Franca approves the 2023 accounts with an ordinary profit of €16.36 million

• The CZFB has informed the plenary of the entity of the desire to make an agreement of intent with the Barcelona City Council for the development of the pact for housing and the economic and social development of the city of Barcelona, a document that was signed at the end of the session

• The Plenary has also authorized the public company to carry out the purchase of a real estate asset for offices in Barcelona.

• The CZFB has implemented practically 100% of the actions defined in its Strategic Plan drawn up in 2019 and is preparing to produce a new strategic document to continue advancing in terms of economic and social progress.

Barcelona, 12 July 2024.- The Plenary of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) today approved the audited annual accounts for the 2023 financial year, which recorded a profit from ordinary operations of 16.36 million euros, which represents an increase compared to the results of the previous year (14.8 million euros). On the other hand, during 2023 the CZFB has obtained operating income or turnover of 65 million euros and the entity’s net worth amounts to 626 million euros. It should be noted that the public entity is financed entirely from its own funds and with its asset management, so all its profits are intended to promote innovation and boost the economy.

Protocol of intentions Barcelona City Council-CZFB

The CZFB has also reported, during this morning’s plenary meeting, of the willingness to carry out the content of the agreement of intent for the development of the pact for housing and the economic and social development of the city of Barcelona between the City Council and the CZFB itself. The primary objective of this agreement of intent is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of the city of Barcelona and consists of 3 essential points:

1. The CZFB will sell the Mediatic and Creatic buildings, located in the 22@ District, to Barcelona City Council to consolidate a hub of different municipal services dedicated to education, citizen service and the economic development of the city. Today’s Plenary has authorized this operation that is still pending economic valuation as a due diligence must be carried out on the state of conservation of the buildings, as well as the corresponding appraisals.
2. The CZFB will join the project of the old La Escocesa venue, located in the 22@Norte, where a hub linked to the creative and creative industry and an innovation project linked to gastronomy and food are currently being developed. The CZFB thus joins a project led by Barcelona City Council and which aims to continue promoting technological innovation to increase the economic fabric and development of the city.
3. The CZFB will grant a surface right for the land it owns in the San Andreu Barracks and the Marina del Prat Vermell to Barcelona City Council for the development of almost 2,000 affordable homes – specifically 1,878 – and allocate more than 96,000 square meters to various facilities in the city of Barcelona.

The special delegate of the State in the CZFB, Pere Navarro, has valued this agreement of intentions very positively and has stated that “at the CZFB we have always positioned ourselves – and will continue to do so – as an ally of the city of Barcelona by providing answers and solutions to its needs, in this case, to an urgent and primordial need for land. For this reason, we have reached an agreement of intent with Barcelona City Council to develop projects for economic and social progress to improve the quality of life of citizens”.

 Authorization for the CZFB to purchase a real estate asset

The Plenary has also given the green light to the public company to be able to carry out the purchase of a real estate asset in the city of Barcelona for offices with the aim of guaranteeing the economic income that makes economic and social promotion actions possible. The location and details of the transaction cannot be disclosed because they are aspects that are included in the confidentiality clauses of the transaction itself.

Monitoring of the Strategic Plan

The CZFB’s plenary council has also monitored the entity’s strategic plan. In this sense, the general director of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué, stated that “today practically 100% of the actions defined in the CZFB Strategic Plan prepared in 2019 have already been executed, which was based on the long-term sustainability of the CZFB, the economic and social development of the territory and urban integration and environmental sustainability. We are currently working on a new document to continue advancing in terms of economic and social progress.”