Water tax in Spain

Spanish Government announces new plan to tax excessive use of water

The Spanish government yesterday announced its most recent proposal to limit the use of water in Spain and protect the dwindling water reserves which after one of the driest spells in Spanish history are at an all-time low.

The Environmental Minister, Cristina Narbona, told the Spanish media that the government is looking for ways to encourage "responsible use" of water and is considering the possibility of setting a new limit to domestic consumption. The proposed limit is a daily limit per person of up to 60 litres. According to the new plans, all water consumed in excess of this limit would be charged at a higher rate than the usual price of water.

Reaction to the Minister's declarations yesterday in Spain has been mixed. While most people here are perfectly aware of the serious problem of water shortages and the need to rationalise the use of water, many question the fact that the first measures taken by central government are aimed at domestic use, rather than tackling the hundreds of kilometres of rusty, leaky water pipes all over Spain or the continuous growth of new golf courses needing constant watering in some of the driest regions of Spain.

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Spanish hostage released

Spanish aid worker taken hostage in Gaza released

According to reports from Palestinian security forces, Roberto Vila, the Spanish aid worker taken hostage today by an unknown group, has been freed.

Roberto Vila, a 34-year-old aid worker with Spanish charity organisation Cooperation Assembly for Peace, was forced into a car by three or four armed men in Gaza earlier today according to his colleague, Celine Gagne, who was with Vila when the abduction happened.

Gagne said that she and Vila had been visiting a project for handicapped children in Khan Younis when gunmen approached them, told her to stay behind and forced Vila into a car before driving away. This is the second kidnapping of a Spaniard in the region since Associated Press photographer Emilio Morenatti was kidnapped last week in Gaza City and released unharmed about 16 hours later.

According to latest reports confirmed just a few minutes ago Spain's Foreign Ministry, Roberto Vila has been released unharmed by his captors. Several Palestinian groups, including Hamas, condemned the kidnapping earlier today.

Cooperation Assembly for Peace is a non-religious organisation committed to activities related to solidarity, cooperation and defence of human rights.

Basque peace process backed by European Commission

The EU member states give their backing to the Basque peace process in Spain

Spain's Socialist government received the support of the European Parliament today as the majority voted to support Rodriguez Zapatero's peace talks with ETA and voted against a resolution put forward by Spanish opposition PP party rejecting talks between government and ETA.

It was a narrow victory - 321 in favour, 311 against and 24 abstentions, but nevertheless a very important one for the Spanish government facing unprecedented opposition from the Popular Party over the whole issue of the peace process. Last week one PP senator accused the PSOE party of surrending to terrorism and initiating conversations with ETA when the terrorists were planning the assessination of an ex-member of the organisation, and government spokesmen called the accusations "vile" while the public prosecutor insinuated that some groups in Spain did not actually want the peace process to succeed.

Both parties have been at loggerheads ever since Zapatero sought the backing of congress to initiate talks with ETA, some months after the terrorists called a ceasefire. Zapatero's appeals to the Popular Party to join all other Spanish parties in supporting the peace talks have fallen on dead ears, and relations have reached yet another low.

The fact that French police believe ETA is responsible for the theft of over 300 military arms this week will add further strength to the argument that the terrorists are getting tired at the lack of progress being made in the peace talks, although some analysts compare it to difficulties in the Northern Ireland peace process when factions of the IRA opposed peace talks.

The debate in the European Parliament was a heated one, but the prevailing view was that the Spanish Government should be allowed to try to achieve peace by negotiation. The European Commission also supported the motion. The EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini participated in the debate urging European MPs to back the motion and arguing that Spain's "tenacity and conviction in combating terrorism from the respect of democracy and the rule of law has paid off".


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Eating habits in Spain

According to the results of a study carried out by Mercasa, a public company belonging to the Spanish Ministry of Agrigulture, last year Spaniards spend an average 1,300 euros on food per person. The study provides an interesting insight into the changing food habits in Spain.

According to the authors of the study presented to the media yesterday in Madrid by the Minister of Agriculture, 21 percent of the total food budget is spent on meat, 13 percent on fresh fruit and vegetables - a 4 percent increase on the previous year -, another 13 percent on fresh fish and 10 percent on milk and other dairy products. Destinamos un 21 por ciento a carne, a las frutas y hortalizas frescas un 13, el mismo porcentaje que el pescado, y a la leche y derivados un 10 por ciento.

Meanwhile the trend in Spain to spend more money on better quality wine continues to grow. In 2005 consumption of DO (domination of origen) wines grew by 8 percent compared to the previous year, and Spaniards spent on average 12 percent more on wines than they did in 2004. On the other hand, money spent on inferior quailty table wine fell by 10 percent.

The study concluded that the growth in Spain in numbers of people living on their own in 2005 was reflected by an increase in expenditure on convenience foods. Spending on pre-packaged meals grew by 3 percent last year, and sauces by 4 percent.

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Iberia lowers its fares

Iberia has announced that as from today all its international flights will be a little cheaper because of the downward trend in international oil prices.

The Spanish airline has announced a reduction of 2 euros on the fuel charge of all its medium-distance flights (to European destinations) and a reduction of 3 euros on long-haul flights to the US, Latin American countries and South Africa. According to the press release sent out by Iberia today, prices could be revised again soon depending on possible fluctuations in prices of fuel in the future.

Iberia is the latest of several European airlines to announce a reduction in fares, although some have been more generous than others. Last week Lufthansa reduced the fuel charge on long haul flights by ten euros, and Air Europa announced plans to cut fares on its European flights by between one and seven euros, and on its long haul flights by between six and fifteen euros.

Last month the Dutch airline KLM reduced fares by five euros on its intercontinental flights and one euro on European flights and Air France by one euro on domestic flights, two on European and seven on its long haul flights.

Iberia's online ticket sales on the rise

This month the Spanish airline announced that online ticket sales increased by 62 percent in the first nine months of this year with respect to the same period last year. 71 percent of all online purchases originated in Spain, representing a 55.5 percent increase compared to last year.

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Corruption in Spanish politics

Earlier reports that corruption in Spain could be in decline were rather optimistic if the number of possible cases of political corruption being reported by the Spanish media are anything to go by. The list seems to be endless, and every week lately new cases of possible bribes, illegal commission for building licences, unchallenged illegal building developments etc. come to light.

Most of the corruption cases center around real estate speculation and development. Yesterday Cadena Ser reported that Spanish police had found 13,000 illegal constructions in Spain in the past year and a half. Here are just some of the corruption charges in the news at the moment:

Corruption in Marbella: The biggest case of corruption to be uncovered in Spain so far. A police investigation into money laundering and drug trafficking in southern Spain codenamed operation white whale and involving phone tapping overheard conversations between politicians in Marbella which led to a parallel investigation being set up to investigate bribery, corruption, manipulation of public tenders and compensation for illegal building licences. Over 150 police participated in "Operation Malaya" and six months ago over 20 people were arrested, including the then Mayoress and Deputy Mayoress of Marbella. The investigation is still going on, and the profits made by people participating in this massive network of corruption is expected to be millions and millions of euros.

Corruption in Madrid: The authorities of various town halls in the suburbs of Madrid are suspected of accepting commissions for allowing building to be developed on protected land, accepting commissions or being involved in the purchase of cheap land where building is not allowed, then modifying the urban laws so that building becomes legal, and then reselling the land for huge sums of money to property developers. Earlier this week it was revealed that an uncle of the President of the Region of Madrid made an enormous profit on land which was re-catagorised as building land shortly after he bought it a few years ago.

Today El País publishes a conversation held 3 years ago in which a former PP councillor of Tres Cantos, Madrid, in reference to the concession by the Town Hall of a massive property development to a private company is reported as saying "I want my 11 percent of the 30,000 million" (pesetas)"Give me the dough and I'll go". According to el Pais, the ex-PP councillor has acknowleded the declarations but said they were made in the heat of the moment. Meanwhile the same paper today reports that two former mayors of another Madrid suburb, Ciempozuelos, this time from the Socialist party, recently paid 916,000 euros into personal bank accounts in a bank in Andorra. The PSOE party forced the current mayor to resign when the public prosecutor ordered an investigation into possible irregular operations in the urban policies of Ciempozuelos last week and the Socialist party has announced a "Zero-tolerance" policy on urban corruption on all sides.

Corruption in Avila: Earlier this month building on a golf course in Avila was bought to a halt after ecologists protested that the developer - a private company set up by the local and regional administration - was ignoring a court order to stop cutting down trees in a protected area.

And the list goes on.....

Deceleration in Spanish house prices

Figures released yesterday by the Housing Ministry in Spain confirmed that during the last three months the trend of a slower rise in the price of houses continued, suggesting that the sharp rise in prices experienced by the Spanish housing market over the past few years has indeed reached its peak.

According to Ministry figures, house prices rose by just 9.7 percent during the last term, the first time in five years that prices have risen by under 10 percent and 1.1 percent less with respect to the first three months of 2006.

In some areas of Spain, for example some areas of Madrid, prices have actually started to fall, although this is not true in the case of new developments in popular coastal resorts. Properties most affected by the latest trend are resales in large urban areas where new developments and off-plan purchases prove an attractive option for first-time property buyers.

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Spain's best website 2006

Euroresidentes among the nominations for Spain's Portal Website of the Year.

Euroresidentes has been nominated for this year's edition of the best webs awards. This is the first time we have been nominated for the award.

Websites are classified in different categories and rated on three qualities: navigation, content and design. The site with the highest rankings will be judged to be Spain's best website in that category. Euroresidentes has been nominated in the category Portal.

Voting is easy. Step 1 is mark how you rate Euroresidentes in each of the three categories from five to one by clicking on the stars. Step 2 is for you to vote other webs in other categories if you want to. And Step 3 is to put your name and an email address in the boxes provided and then click on Enviar sus votos (Send your votes). Voters receive a confirmation message in the email account provided with a link which they have to click on to validate their vote.

Last year Miarroba won the award for Spain's most popular Portal and Forocoches for Spain's best Portal. If anyone wants to vote for us, click on this link.

And Thank you!

Protests over new golf course in Avila, Spain

Ecologists appeal to Regional Government to prevent the destruction of a pine forest in Avila, Spain.

The Spanish trade union CCOO and Centaurea, an association of ecologists, are trying to force the regional government of Castilla y Leon to respect a sentence passed by the Supreme Tribunal Court and to stop all building activity in the Golf course Ciudad del Golf in Las Navas del Marqués.

The regional government supports the construction of this new golf course and leisure complex in Avila, even though it involves the destruction of an extensive natural area of pine forests which are home to some of Spain's rarest bird breeds, including the black stork, imperial eagle and the black vulture.

CCOO and Centaura have published a press release accusing the regional government of deliberately ignoring the sentence which was passed at the end of last week. According to the two associations, and contrary to the orders of the Supreme Tribunal Courts, this weekend the construction company has continued to cut down hundreds of trees and and other vegetation.

The land belongs to a private company set up in 2000 by the regional administration of which 70 percent belongs to the local council, 20 percent to the Castilla y Leon Regional Government and 10 percent to the Provincial Government. All authorities are governed by the Popular Party.

The ecologists and trade union representatives say that the decision of the company to carry on with its plans represents an act of "scorn towards social and legal order" and "revenge for the decision of the Courts, two days after sentence was passed protecting in the public's interest the very area damaged this weekend, because of its natural, environmental, landscape and ecological worth".

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Tony Blair in Madrid

Tony Blair arrived in Madrid yesterday evening for a two-day official visit and gave José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero a boost when he endorsed the Socialist Government's controversial decision to start negotiating with the Basque separatist group ETA. When asked if he supported Zapatero's decision, he said yes, he did, because "it's always worth a try".

Ever since José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq almost as soon as he was sworn in as President of Spain, relations between the Spanish President and British PM have been strained. Especially since Tony Blair enjoyed a very close working and personal relationship with ex-President José Maria Aznar (as he also did of course with Silvio Berlusconi) whom he invited to London after the Spanish election result for what was one of Aznar's last official trips as acting President of Spain.

However, tension has eased over the past couple of years, some progress has been made on the future of Gibraltar, and the Spanish government was quick to offer and supply the British government with help immediately after the London train bombings, when they sent anti-terrorist police and detectives who had successfully investigated the Madrid train bombings to advise their colleagues in the UK.

Yesterday's joint press conference was an illustration of their improved relationship, and both premiers were relaxed as they answered questions. The main Spanish opposition party, the pro-PP section of the Spanish media and even ex-President Aznar have openly criticised the Socialists for their decision to talk to ETA following the ceasefire called by the terrorist group earlier this year.

But yesterday Tony Blair endorsed Zapatero's pro-negotiation policy "it is sometimes difficult, but it is the right thing to do", and offered his support. He also reminded reporters that he was criticised and called naive by certain sectors during the long peace process in Northern Ireland, but "if you believe in it, you just keep going".

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero thanked the British Prime Minister for his support and confirmed that the peace process in the Basque country would continue but would inevitably suffer lows and reach highs. He refused to confirm or refute the rumour that talks with ETA have reached a deadlock.

Tony Blair's visit concludes today after co-chairing, with Zapatero, a round-table meeting with directors from some of Spain and the UK's top companies, including BP, Vodafone, Barclays, Acciona, Indra, Ferrovial and Telefónica.

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75 year anniversary women's suffrage in Spain

Yesterday Madrid's Complutense University organised a party to celebrate the 75th anniversary of votes for women in Spain.

Seventy five years ago a woman called Clara Campoamor gave a passionate speech in the Spanish parliament defending the right of women to vote, following which the Republican government passed a new law giving women this right. Until then women had been considered by the Spanish governments to be unfit to participate in elections because of lack of experience or because their vote would supposedly be too heavily influenced by the opinion of the Catholic Church. However Campomor, quoting Humboldt, argued that the only way women could learn how to excercise freedom was by becoming part of the system.

Unfortunately, as events would have it, Spanish women had very little time to exercise their new right, as the Civil War broke out just two years later, and when Franco set up his dictatorship on winning the war, neither men nor women were to enjoy the right to participate in democratic elections for the next forty years.

Yesterday the Complutense University in Madrid organised a festival to commemorate the anniversary with concerts, theatre, readings of poems and stories, cinema and art exhibitions.

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