Date Published: 13/11/2021

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Nov 13

Just when you thought the Spanish government couldn’t drive through any more new motoring laws or construct any new changes to housing legislation, they take a U-turn and drive us round the bend with a whole truckload of changes to road rules, while real estate laws are stacked floor to ceiling. Before we know it, we’ll be chock-a-block with legislation to change how we live and drive in Spain.

There are new property laws on our doorstep already and new traffic laws that are practically in our headlights too, and others that will come into force further down the road, plus a veritable convoy of existing rules that the DGT (Spanish traffic authority) wants to remind drivers about, just in case they had forgotten.

So strap in ‘cause it’s gonna be a bumpy ride as we chart a course through all the latest road rules and recent housing developments that are through the roof in Spain!

Okay, enough with the homely and driving clichés now.

Property news

Good news for those looking to sell property in Spain this week, as on Monday a royal decree was passed to change the way municipal capital gains tax on land is calculated. Until now, capital gains tax has been payable on all property transfers in Spain on the assumption that it would align with an increase in the value of the property, but this was declared “unconstitutional” last month because, as some rightly pointed out, property prices don’t always go up. After investigating the issue, the new law has been brought in to “guarantee that nobody who makes a sale at a loss will have to pay”.

To this effect, taxpayers will have a choice between two different ways their property transfer taxes can be calculated, so they can go for the one that makes the most sense

to them:

1. Calculate the tax based on the cadastral value of the land at the time of the transfer, in accordance with the value registered in the Spanish land registry records (‘cadastre’).

2. Calculate the actual difference between the original purchase value and the current sale price.

With these options, homeowners in Spain looking to sell up may find that, if the value of their property has decreased or they’re not selling it for a profit, they won’t have to pay capital gains tax.

Those who may be most interested in selling up and moving are those who live in the cities of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Ciudad Real or Huelva in Andalucía. These four cities have been identified as the places with the worst tap water in Spain, sometimes containing high levels of harmful substances and contaminants.

This was revealed in a recent study by the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), which also ranked the places with the best tap water in Spain. The top three cities were Burgos, San Sebastián and Las Palmas de Mallorca, where the tap water is safest to drink because it has very little lime (also making it taste better).

Whilst tap water is generally safe to drink everywhere in Spain, some people do report that theirs comes out a milky white colour in places like Almería or that they simply don’t trust the water in the pipes in Spain, preferring to buy bottled water. However, there is no research to suggest that this is a necessary safety precaution for people living in Spain to take, even those in Barcelona. In fact, the polluting nature of disposable plastic bottles adds to the problem of contaminating the world’s waterways when they end up in rivers and oceans and disintegrate into microplastics.

The other thing to consider when it comes to property in Spain in the central heating.

“Central what?!” I hear you exclaim. While some who live in the warmer areas of Spain that don’t have the tradition of putting central heating (or air conditioning, for that matter!) in homes may be flummoxed, there are actually new rules coming into force to replace the central heating and cooling systems in houses built before 1998.

The law, which was passed in August of this year, will mean that old-fashioned central heating systems in buildings predating 1998 are replaced with a more modern, environmentally friendly metre system which is said to be far more accurate, having generated savings of around 24% on the heating bill for some 180,000 Spanish homes so far.

The plan is to replace the central heating system in approximately 1.4 million homes in Spain, bringing them into line with current legislation by May 2023. If this affects you and you need to change the heating system in your home, you’ll have to contact the Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE) for a free quote as to how much the new installation will cost.

Exceptions can be made for those who can show that they can’t afford to make the changes to their property, although financial aid will be made available where appropriate. This will be welcome news to the 11% of people living in Spain who claim they can’t even afford to heat their homes this winter due to the soaring costs of electricity and gas.

Motoring news

The new payment system has finally been pinned down for the use of highways in Spain. From 2023, drivers wanting to use Spain’s toll roads will need to display a special, pre-paid electronic sticker on their car. The fixed price for this label will give them access to all Spanish high-speed roads, while drivers who use the road but don’t pay for a sticker will be fined.

This sticker-based system will only be temporary, however, as the ultimate plan is to charge drivers one cent for every kilometre they drive on a paid motorway. These measures are being brought in to help pay for repairs and maintenance to the 12,000 kilometres of Spanish road infrastructure that can’t be covered by the regular budget, a move not uncommon in much of the rest of Europe. Predictably, though, the suggestion has met with fierce resistance from some quarters, especially truck drivers, who have scheduled a transport strike for three days in the run up to Christmas, from December 19 to 22. Granted, they are striking more because of exorbitant fuel costs and a lack of safe rest areas for tired drivers, but it’s still expected to create havoc for Christmas present deliveries and supplies of turkey and turrón for the Christmas table.

Curiously enough, and despite having now signed this now proposal into law, the Spanish government has denied ever promising to the EU that they would impose these new road tolls. It seems that, under pressure from lorry drivers’ unions and in true politician style, the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, squirmed her way out of making any firm commitment to either one side or the other.

Also looking to cash in on the roads is Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), which has its sights set on getting extra funds from the one-third of motorists who reportedly don’t have a valid MOT (or ITV in Spain). Using special traffic cameras, the traffic authority plans to fine around 32% of drivers who don’t have a proper roadworthiness certificate for their car. If your car is more than four years old, be sure to get it checked and that you have your ITV up to date.

Other costs to look out for on the roads are hefty fines for damaging the road infrastructure. The DGT has reminded people this week that there are certain infractions that can carry a fine of up to 20,000 or 30,000 euros, such as making illegal alterations to road signs and damaging the road surfaces themselves, because they directly endanger other road users. But the worst thing a person can do, according to the DGT, is to install radar inhibiting devices that prevent speed cameras from knowing how fast you’re going, and mechanics can be fined a maximum of 30,000 euros for putting them in. Because, of course, trying to not get caught speeding is much worse than deliberately ripping up the roadways.

It’s not all pocket-emptying, bad news on Spain’s roads, though. Turns out, some drivers can actually get money back if they bought their car between 2006 and 2013 in Spain. Because around 140 car dealerships we essentially found to be running a cartel during this period and ramping up car prices, around 10 million drivers may be eligible for compensation of between 2,000 and 9,000 euros, depending on how much they overpaid for their vehicle.

If you’re looking to change cars anyway, you’d do well to buy an electric car as Spain is planning to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. As stated at Glasgow’s COP26 environmental conference this week, at least thirty countries and six major car manufacturers have promised to stop producing new gas-consuming vehicles within the next 20 years. Okay, so Spain hasn’t actually formally joined them yet, but the same commitment has effectively been promised by the country’s Climate Change Law that was passed last year.

Environmental catastrophe

While world leaders continue to slap each other on the back for a job well done at their climate conference in Scotland, just because they made a non-legally binding promise to have net zero carbon emissions 50 years from now, the world continues to suffer the effects of the climate crisis now.

The Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS), who are in charge of the sanitation and water network in the Murcia Region, shifted the blame for the dismal state of the Mar Menor to the Murcia government this week, stating that it is their job to prevent nitrate-laden agricultural run-off from reaching the Mar Menor. And as politicians continue to squabble over what to do to save the lagoon, and whose responsibility it is, five local environmental groups had organised a protest in San Javier on Wednesday – an ironic coincidence as just one day before the demonstration, another disaster struck the lagoon.

A canal connecting the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean was turned a shocking shade of blue by fresh paint from the La Manga bicycle lanes, which were not fully dry when it began to rain. Despite efforts from cleaning teams sent by the Cartagena Town Hall, a large quantity of paint leaked into the Marchamalo canal, leading to rather large scandal for the local council, with residents in the area even threatening to file a criminal complaint with the SEPRONA (wildlife) branch of the Guardia Civil.

In Andalucía’s Guadalquivir basin, a river valley that supplies water to many major autonomous communities in the south of Spain, a state of “extraordinary” drought has been declared. As a result of a lack of rainfall, a problem that has persisted for the last 25 years, the drought will mean further water restrictions in Seville, Granada and along the rest of the Guadalquivir basin.

While private citizens should not be affected by the lack of water supplies in the region’s reservoirs for at least “another 2 years”, farmers and businesses that use water for industrial purposes are being made to cut back their water usage yet again, in a worrying situation of water scarcity for the area that is only predicted to get worse.

One firm in Alicante is trying to raise awareness of the disastrous effect human beings are having on the natural environment by selling an ordinary plastic shopping bag for a cool 499 euros. The plain, white polyethylene bag, which has the word ‘Granel’ printed on it (Spanish for ‘buying in bulk’, and often used when referring to buying grains and pulses straight from a supplier by weight, rather than in a plastic package), is being marketed as a luxury fashion item, advertised by glamour models, in the hope that it will draw attention to society’s “throwaway culture”, according to Marina Moya, CEO of the company Bolsolea that created the bag, “by giving value to something we value very little”. Would you pay almost 500 euros for a plastic bag?

Coronavirus

All of Europe is unfortunately bracing itself for a dreaded sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic and Spain is no exception, as the cumulative incidence rate has once again risen to 67 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it firmly in the medium-risk category. Infections and hospitalisations are on the increase, although ICU pressure thankfully remains relatively stable. To date, 88.9% of the target population in Spain has been fully vaccinated against Covid, while President Pedro Sánchez has vowed to donate 2 million surplus doses of the jab to refugee camps and other humanitarian causes.

There has been a slight rebound in Covid cases in the Region of Murcia, with the 14-day cumulative incidence rate continuing to climb over 8 points from last week to stand at 58.56 infections per 100,000 people. There were also several more new infections this week, meaning that in total, 793 people currently have Covid in the Region, up from 632 this time last week. Of those, 759 are in self-isolation at home and 34 are in hospital. According to reports, the vast majority of those being hospitalised for coronavirus are those who have refused to be vaccinated. As is the case in the rest of the country, there were no significant changes to the anti-Covid restrictions this week.

There was also a further rebound in Alicante last weekend. The Ministry of Health reported 849 infections over the weekend in the Valencian Community, prompting more calls for “prudence” and the launch of another anti-Covid awareness campaign.

With the 14-day cumulative incidence rate having reached 77 cases per 100,000, regional Health Minister, Ana Barceló, warned: “Remember, we need to continue protecting ourselves against the virus during gatherings, celebrations and whilst shopping. We cannot lower our guard.”

The health department also agreed a new resolution this week which means anybody who is exempt from wearing a mask in public places, such as those with respiratory illnesses, must now provide a medical certificate signed by a doctor confirming their condition would be exacerbated by the use of a face covering.

In Andalucia, too, the number of daily infections is slowly working its way back up to unacceptable levels. The 14-day cumulative incidence rate increased two points in 24 hours and is now at 42.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, up from 34.6 on Friday November 5 and 33.9 the Friday before that.

We’re definitely going in the wrong direction all round, and though there’s no official talk of it yet, it may be time to start thinking about reintroducing some Covid restrictions as a preventative measure.

One measure being brought in is an extension of the booster jab to the over-60s age group. Up until now, only over-70s could get a booster jab for Covid in Andalucía, but on Wednesday November 10 the Minister of Health and Families, Jesús Aguirre, agreed to extend the vaccination programme to those over 60 years old after “seeing that the cumulative incidence in the 60-69 age group is increasing”.

Murcia

A major news story kicked off the week in Murcia regarding a fatal shoot-out in the infamous Las 600 neighbourhood of Cartagena, which left two dead, including a Ukrainian national, and two arrested after a drug-related scuffle. The district is notorious for drug and gang-related criminal activity and the authorities have not ruled out more arrests being made.

There was further bad press for Cartagena this week as their local football team, Cartagena FC, was embroiled in a national football scandal, which saw almost a dozen semi-professional teams across the country accused of fraudulent money management, including paying players under the table.

Meanwhile, in the nearby municipality of Torre Pacheco three fires broke out within a three-hour period early on Tuesday morning. The authorities deemed that the fires were too big of a coincidence to be accidental, especially as broken glass was found at the scene of all three fires, two of which were in storage buildings on industrial sites while the third broke out inside a vehicle. Police are now on the lookout for a pyromaniac who they believe threw an incendiary device or flaming material through a window at each crime scene.

Elsewhere in the Region of Murcia, the municipality of Lorca has cracked down on electric scooters after a 29-year-old scooter driver was badly injured in a head on collision with a car and ended up in hospital with a head trauma. The local authorities will now be strictly enforcing rules for these kind of personal mobility vehicles, including obligatory helmets and insurance and limiting where the scooters are allowed to be used.

As Black Friday draws closer, many have started their Christmas shopping early this year, due to fears of an international supply chain issue. Shoppers appear to be getting their Christmas presents sorted early this year to avoid missing out on highly sought-after items just in case they sell out before the big day. However, despite consumer fears, many big companies, including El Corte Inglés, have assured customers that there isn’t a generalised supply chain issue, rather shortages of some particularly in-demand technological items, such as newly released mobile phones.

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Spain

As Spain and rest of the world enters the run-up to the festive season, many of the major Spanish cities announced their dates for switching on the Christmas lights this year. Usually attracting spectators in their droves, these celebrations were marred by the health crisis in 2020, but this year the extravaganzas are set to be bigger and better than ever, with local councils increasing their budgets to ensure that their towns are lit brightly this Christmas.

Spaniards are approaching the holidays with a little trepidation, however, with many still concerned that a global supply shortage will hamper the festivities. Several major retailers have warned that stock will be low on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, and the imminent strike by the transport sector right before Christmas has fuelled speculation even further. Suppliers of AdBlue, an essential fluid required to run newer diesel vehicles have warned that its price is set to rise by 50%.

Car sales in general have plummeted in Spain and both the new and second-hand market is taking a hammering. Experts believe that the global shortage of semiconductors and China’s refusal to produce more magnesium is leading to a production crisis for new vehicles, while much of Spain is still cash-strapped from the economic after-effects of the pandemic.

Major manufacturers believe the microchip crisis should begin to ease by 2023, but tech giant Intel is anticipating a lean Christmas this year. In order to reduce the worldwide dependence on Asia for raw materials, the company is planning to open two new European headquarters, and Spain is one of the hopeful countries vying for Intel’s favour.

Finally, inked-up officers in Spain can keep their tattoos as long as they respect constitutional values. The Ministry of the Interior has announced a reversal of its decision to ban Guardia Civil officers from having visible tattoos after receiving severe criticism and backlash. While originally officers were to be given one year to remove any tattoos they might have on their head, neck or hands, a decision to withdraw the ban was made by Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the new Royal Decree regulating the general use of the official uniform authorises tattoos providing they don’t contain any expressions contrary to constitutional values that would damage the image of the Armed Institute.

Alicante

In spite of the rebound in Covid cases, charities and community organisations in Alicante province are forging ahead with fundraising activities, including Rojales-based Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, which desperately needs new transport to continue rescuing and caring for neglected horses and donkeys on the Costa Blanca. A fundraiser will be held at Casa Contenta in Avenida Justo Quesada on Saturday November 20 from 8pm, with a flea market, stalls and live music.

And Calpe is planning to host its first Associations Fair, a three-day event from November 26 to 28 which will showcase the community work of 32 local associations and organisations.

The ever-present virus appears to have done nothing to curb crowds at a popular coastal attraction in Javea, where fed-up residents have threatened to block access to Grandella cove to put a stop to overcrowding and rid the area of badly parked cars, caravans and motor homes.

Coastal issues also hit the headlines in Villajoyosa this week after a mound of illegally dumped meat was discovered in the La Robell area, the second grisly discovery near the town’s waterways after chicken remains were found carelessly discarded at the mouth of the Armadorio River.

Meanwhile, local police were forced to cordon off a ‘blast area’ in the Sierra de Alcoy natural park and mountain range after a hiker stumbled across an unexploded bomb believed to be from the Spanish Civil War. The mortar grenade with an explosive charge was taken to Agost firing range to be destroyed.

Less than 60km away, a sheep farm looks set to be transformed into a solar energy plant. Valencia energy business group, Atitlan Helios, has revealed plans to build a photovoltaic plant in the municipalities of Monovar and Salinas, a project which will see an investment of 62 million euros and supply electricity to 70,000 homes in Alicante.

A light was shone on the continued work of the Local Police Canine Unit in Alicante this week, when it was revealed officers have rescued 98 abandoned dogs so far this year. Police praised the public for their “fundamental” assistance in alerting the unit to neglected, abused and unwanted animals. In a recent rescue, a dog left abandoned in a courtyard for a week was kept alive by neighbours who gave the starving animal food and water before the canine unit were able to free the dog and place it in care.

Good news in Alicante city, where the lifts were reinstalled up to the town’s popular historic monument, the Santa Bárbara castle. After 18 months out of action, two elevators are now up and running, meaning visitors will no longer have to climb the approximately two kilometres to enjoy the panoramic views from the top of the castle, which attracts around 400,000 visitors every year. There’s been no mention of reinstating the shuttle bus yet, though.

In shocking news, a man was brutally beaten in a suspected neo-Nazi gang attack in Valencia. The victim was allegedly chased, cornered and beaten by 10-strong group of men over a slogan in English on his T-shirt which read “working class”. According to the Valencia Hate Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, which has opened an investigation into the violent assault, “this is not the first case of aggression by neo-Nazi groups in the area” and warned that these attacks and violent behaviour will “not go unpunished”.

Over in Benidorm, the town council reached an agreement with business and residents’ associations to delimit regulated parking areas with new colours to define free and ‘pay-for’ zones. The resort also made the news after the manager and employee of an insurance brokerage firm in the resort were arrested accused of scamming at least 36, mostly Russian, clients out of around 70,000 euros over the last four years through bogus policy charges.

The investigation into social security fraud amongst Spanish football clubs stretched to Alicante, too, with investigators interviewing players and managers at Hercules FC and La Nucia sports facilities over misappropriation of funds. Inquiries are ongoing.

On a positive note, house sales and purchases in the Valencia region soared 56.1% between July and September compared to the same period in 2020, with 22,177 transactions, up 18.3% on the previous quarter. And the biggest upturn has been in Alicante province, which accounts for 45.15% of the region’s residential property transactions.

Andalucía

Private and public companies alike in the region of Andalucía have this week shown themselves to be disgracefully dismissive of both their duty towards quality customer service and fair treatment of their workers.

A recent study found that half of postal and packaging service companies are in breach of the law because they fail to offer a freephone number for clients and non-customers to call for customer service and queries. Of the 14 companies analysed, seven were found to be breaking this customer service law: DHL, FedEx, Mondial Relay, Correos, MRW, Celeritas and Envialia.

Those looking to send packages or parcels in Andalucía are advised to use these more reputable, law-abiding companies: GLS, Tipsa, SEUR, UPS, Zeleris, Correos Express or Nacex. Maybe by refusing to use the formers’ services, it will make it clear to such shameless companies that they can’t get away with doing whatever they want and disregarding their responsibilities towards those they profess to serve, while merely serving their own pockets.

The trains in Málaga, too, have been reduced to offering reduced services for passengers. Due to a shortage of drivers, one-third of trains in Málaga were cancelled this Wednesday. A total of 40 trains were cancelled, including the C-1 commuter service, Malaga’s most important and profitable line that usually completes 140 trips every day.

This driver shortage has been an ongoing problem for Renfe in Málaga, which has desperately been trying to recruit more engineers since last year “to replace 110% of vacancies that have been created through resignations and dismissals”. It may be too little, too late though, with passenger numbers plummeting as fed-up travellers opt for private transport and other travel alternatives to avoid the uncertainty of rail connections in the province.

Rail passengers aren’t the only ones who are annoyed, though. Metal workers down the coast in Cádiz went on strike on Tuesday and Wednesday to demand wage rises. The unions claim salaries should increase by 2% in 2021, 2.5% next year and 3% in 2023, while metal bosses flatly refuse. The metal workers have promised that if their demands are not met, they will stop work indefinitely from November 16.

The other gaditano (person from Cádiz) who has poured scorn on the people who support them is the Mayor of the city of Cádiz, Kichi, who came dangerously close to insulting the British tourists who provide 71 euros a day to the province when he said he didn’t want his city “to be Magaluf or a city full of drunken British tourists or where stag parties come”. Fair enough, Mr Kichi. Just know that not all British tourists are drunkards and not all drunken tourists are British.

Inconsiderate private and public bodies aside, there were two particularly newsworthy crime stories in Andalucía this week. In the first, a Norwegian man was arrested in the town of Benalmádena in Málaga province for trafficking drugs from Spain. The 48-year-old fugitive was wanted in his home country of Norway for importing drugs into the country from the Spanish peninsula, which he had apparently been doing for over a year, according to the European arrest warrant issued for his capture.

The second horrific crime this week occurred in the early hours of last Sunday morning when a 37-year-old woman, known only as María Isabel M.M., was murdered by her ex-partner who was waiting for her outside her home. The mother of three was a popular local resident who worked at the Plum Cake café in the town of San Roque in the Campo de Gibraltar, near the border with the Rock in Cádiz. She had already reported two of her other ex-partners to police for domestic violence, while the alleged murderer himself had been reported for domestic violence twice by his ex-partners.

María Isabel was given a proper send off by the town she lived in, with thousands of people turning out to attend her funeral, observe four minutes’ silence at a vigil held for her and spontaneously raised their lighters and the lights on their phones into the air as a farewell gesture.

Finally, on a lighter note, a tired and hungry griffon vulture was rescued from Marbella marina after it stopped to rest on it migration journey. The beautiful young bird had landed on the deck of one of the boats in the Puerto de La Bajadilla, where it was recovered and transferred to the Centre for the Recovery of Endangered Species, where it will be cared for.

You may have missed…

1. Black Friday event in Mazarrón: November 19 to 27.

The municipality of Mazarrón (Murcia) has organised a Black Friday event where customers who spend over 20 euros in any of the participating local shops will receive a stamped ticket, which could be one of 660 prize-winning tickets.

2. Escaped camels run amok on Madrid streets.

In the early hours of last Friday, eight camels and a llama were spotted walking the streets of Madrid after being liberated from the circus by animal rights activists.

3. Holiday rentals scammer arrested in San Javier.

Guardia Civil officers have arrested a man in San Javier for scamming around a dozen holidaymakers by falsely advertising stunning rental properties on the Mar Menor coast online at a low price.

4. Valencia health department gets social media savvy.

The Valencia Region’s Ministry of Health has stepped up its social media presence with the launch of Facebook and Instagram profiles to connect with teenagers and young adults and counteract fake news.

5. VIDEO: Firefighters tackle car fire on Orihuela Costa urbanisation.

Local Police in Orihuela have shared footage of a vehicle blaze, which appears to show a Volvo C70 engulfed in flames, close to other parked cars and houses in Orihuela.

And that’s all for this week! Thanks for reading, and if you liked this roundup, be sure to TELL A FRIEND about it. An informed and active community makes us all better off.

See you next week!

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