During the reign of Pere III el Cerimoniós, the committee of representatives of the General de Catalunya responsible for collecting subsidies approved by the Cort became permanent, leading to a new institution being set up - the Diputació del General or Generalitat. Established at the Corts of 1359, the Generalitat consisted of three members and three observers (one for each branch of the Cort). It had its own administration and quickly took on more powers, implementing the decisions made at the Corts, collecting taxes, and, above all, defending individuals and the institutions in any grievances.