As indicated in the Official State Gazette (art. 1 and 3 of Law 2/1974 of February 13 on Professional Associations):
A professional association is a public law corporation, covered by the Law and recognized by the State. It has its own legal personality and full capacity to fulfil its purpose, which is regulating professions, the exclusive institutional representation of said professions when association membership is mandatory, defending the professional interests of members and protecting the interests of consumers and users of members' services (without prejudice to the remit of the Public Administration due to the administrative relationship).