Carod-Rovira has been involved in several civic organisations, among which are Òmnium Cultural (member of its board between 1986 and 1995 and president of its Tarragonès division), Llull-Federació d'Entitats dels Països Catalans (member of its board between 1991 and 1995), the castellers association Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona (colla means association), the Catalan Language Writers Association, the PEN Club of Catalonia and the Societat Catalana d'Onomàstica.

Before entering, in 1987, ERC, he was an active member of the Socialist National Liberation Party (PSAN) between 1970 and 1977 and of the Left Nationalists (NE) between 1980 and 1986.

Carod-Rovira was first elected general secretary of ERC in November 1996, in the 21st National Congress of the party at Vilafranca del Penedès.

He subsequently became a candidate for the Spanish Congress of Deputies in the elections of March 2004 and his party got eight seats and almost quadrupled its popular support.

Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira has been deputy at the Parliament of Catalonia since 1988 and also was First Minister of the Generalitat de Catalunya between December 2003 and January 2004.