Spain is about to get back in the fight against doping.
With political stability finally restored, the country is again in position to become compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency, nearly eight months after it was suspended because of inadequate doping legislation.
Spanish authorities say they have everything in place to approve the law changes that will allow the nation to abide by WADA's revised global anti-doping code.
WADA declared Spain "non-compliant" this year after the country failed to adapt its legislation because it couldn't form a government following two inconclusive elections that prompted a political deadlock which lasted nearly 10 months.
The country's political parties finally reached an agreement to end the stalemate last month, and Wednesday is the first day in which the parliament can start working on new legislation. Officials guarantee that it's only a matter of time before the required changes are approved and the nation regains WADA compliance.
The country's top government sports official, Miguel Cardenal, said that the legislation changes are "ready" and just waiting for approval.
Spain's anti-doping agency said that the negotiations to have the changes made had already been conducted even before the political impasse was resolved, leaving everything in place for a quick approval by the parliament.
"(The changes) are important to assure that our athletes are subjected to the same rules as any other athlete in the world," said Enrique Gomez Bastida, director of Spain's anti-doping agency.
"It's fundamental that there are no differences between the rules in which athletes have to follow in their countries and the ones applied by their respective international federation."
There has been no timetable set by the government, but the new legislation could come into effect in a matter of weeks.
The changes would make a greater number of infractions punishable, allow for harsher sanctions and extend the statute of limitation for violations.
WADA's anti-doping code was revised in 2015 to give the agency more power in the fight against doping.
