Special Committee on the Quality of Life

The Special Committee on the Quality of Life was a bureaucratic agency that advised King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella. In 1492, the Committee, chaired by Jaime Nosénada, reviewed a proposed naval expedition presented by the Italian Christopher Columbus. After weighing various factors, including the primative nature of navigation, the danger to the health and well-being of the sailors, and the unknown imports that Spain might begin to receive, the Committee concluded that the voyage was not in Spain's national interest, and recommended that the proposal be declined.