The Provincial Council approves the electronic administration ordinance with the use of AI

The Provincial Council of Castellón has definitively approved the Regulatory Ordinance for Electronic Administration, which mandates the fully electronic processing of administrative procedures, electronic tendering, and the use of artificial intelligence systems in actions affecting citizens’ rights. The full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, number 103, dated August 27, 2026, with reference 03835-2026-U and file 5293/2017.

The modification was initially approved in an ordinary session of the Plenary held on June 30, 2026 and, as no claims or suggestions were submitted since its publication in BOP no. 80, of July 4, 2026, it is considered definitively approved. The publication is carried out in accordance with article 70.2 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. The announcement is signed by the delegated deputy for Transparency, María Tormo Casañ, and the general secretary, Manuel Pesudo Esteve.

A fully electronic procedure

The ordinance develops the common administrative procedure in application of Laws 39/2015 and 40/2015, of October 1, and establishes that processing shall in all cases be carried out by electronic means. The registry will be electronic and unique, the file will be promoted ex officio by electronic means, and the archive, filtered by the National Security Framework, will guarantee the secure and confidential storage of documents.

The regulation recognizes the right of citizens to choose the means of relating to the administration, although the electronic route will be mandatory for legal entities and certain natural persons. Administrative simplification is promoted through the responsible declaration and the right not to provide documents that are already in the possession of any public administration.

Mandatory electronic tendering

Title VII of the ordinance regulates the specific rules for electronic tendering. Contracts that are not considered minor shall be processed through an electronic tendering platform that allows for the electronic processing of the procurement procedure. The platform must strictly comply with the National Security and Interoperability Frameworks and allow for the encrypted and confidential submission of bids, in addition to being integrated with the file manager.

Artificial intelligence with guarantees

The Fourteenth Additional Provision regulates administrative actions involving artificial intelligence systems. It applies to all actions processed by electronic means in which an AI system is involved, whether in the preparation of acts, in decision-making assistance, or in the total or partial automation of resolutions, regardless of whether the system was developed by the Provincial Council or by a third party.

The electronic office must contain, in accessible terms, updated information on the AI systems involved in the procedures, with a reference to the Provincial Registry of Artificial Intelligence Systems provided for in the Provincial Council’s Internal Policy for the Use of Artificial Intelligence. For matters not provided for, the incorporation, use, supervision, and withdrawal of these systems shall be governed by said internal policy and by Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.

The new ordinance places the Provincial Council of Castellón at the forefront of digital administration by combining mandatory electronic processing, online public procurement, and a framework of guarantees for the use of artificial intelligence in decisions affecting citizens’ rights, in line with European regulations.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, no. 103, August 27, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: 03835-2026-U, file 5293/2017).