Palma Group News

Christophe de Jonghe and Will Besga are currently working on setting up a group in Palma. The first meeting of the Palma group was held on 10th May in 7pm at the Hotel Mirador on the Paseo Maritimo in Palma. Anyone who is interested in helping should contact EpoE by email info@epore.org

The Right to Vote

The work of Europeos por España has been acknowledged at top level in Brussels. The association’s Honorary President, Kate Mentink, received a letter on 19th January from Martin Selymar Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Viviane Reding at the European Commission stating,

“I refer to your email of 20 October sent in reply to my letter of 18 October concerning the issue of the loss of the right by nationals of some Member States to take part in general elections, as a consequence of having resided abroad. I wish to thank you for your interest in these activities of the Commission.
Following contacts with the Ministers in charge of this matter in the concerned Member States, the Commission is currently considering a follow-up, including the launch of a public consultation on this matter during 2012. The objective is to look into possible political options for ensuring that EU citizens can fully benefit from their right to
participate in the democratic life of the Union and the right to free movement.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Commission services in the future for further developments.”

Pollensa News

Kate Mentink met with the Mayor of Pollensa, Sr. Cifre who stated that he is happy to help and support an EporE group in his area. Brain Drewitt and Paula Danks are contacting all EporE supporters/members in the north so that the group can be established. A meetings will be held in the second half of April so that the aims and work of EporE can be publicized and new members in this area can be recruited to the association.

Mayor Tomeu “Tommy” Cifre has stated publicly that he supports the right of property owners in his municipality to rent out their properties for holiday rentals. He considers this important for the prosperity of the region.

Calvià Group News

Will Besga is setting up a group in Calvia and the south west. The first meeting will be held in May at a very to be confirmed.

January Newsletter

Do you own a property near to the coast in Spain?

If the answer is yes, you need to know about the ‘ley de costas’ (Coastal Law).

The National Government Coastal Authority has reactivated a law from 1988 which claims ownership of property in coastal areas. It has imposed and registered a line that is 100 metres from “where the last wave lands”. The 100metres is minimum, and can extend to up to 400 metres! This means that people who own property inside this 100m line find that it is not “free and clear” when they come to sell it.

EporE is working with other bodies to challenge this as unfair and unworkable and is petitioning the European Parliament on the matter.

The link below is to a FAQ prepared by a Spanish association fighting for the rights of the property owners affected by this legislation.

Inheritance Tax

The latest news on the Inheritance Tax situation in Spain is that the European Parliament has declared the current situation illegal and demanded that it must be changed.
Currently the Inheritance taxes that are paid to the State by non-Spanish residents are between 7.65% and 34%, considerably higher than those paid by Spanish nationals. Brussels has stated that this law must be changed so that non-Spanish residents pay the same as their Spanish neighbours. EporE will be organising a forum to discuss this matter in detail with expert, Sr Alejandro de Campo and Euro MP Rosa Estaras.  Date to be confirmed but planned for the end of November.

Alejandro del Campo (Abogado-Asesor Fiscal) exlpains the situation in Spain and, in particular, in the Baleares.

Epore es aquí para usted Descubra lo que somos por aquí

EporE is here for you Find out what we are about here

EporE ist für sie da! Hier erfahren Sie mehr über uns.

Join us to fight for your rights

 

 

 

 

 

Invitation

ROSA ESTARAS
EuroMP
CARLOS SAN LORENZO
abogado, experto nacional sobre el impuesto de matriculación para el sector náutico
lawyer, national expert on matriculation tax for the nautical industry
ALEJANDRO DEL CAMPO
abogado especialista en impuesto a la herencia europea
lawyer, expert in European inheritance tax

Lunes/Monday 14 Mayo, 2012 at 19:00
en
Clubhouse, Club de Mar, Palma de Mallorca

MEP Sra. Rosa Estaràs will give a presentation to Epore members. The topics up for discussion are "the discriminatory inheritance taxes” and “the matriculation tax of the nautical sector”. 

Nautical News

For the latest news from the nautical sector click HERE to read the article written by Peter Franklin of The Islander.

Rental Licences

The Tourism Act of the Balearics now requires you to declare to the authorities the beginning of a touristic activity (the so called a DRIAT), if it is indeed what you are doing. If you are not engaging in such a thing, then your rental should fall within the Tenancy Act. To read more click HERE.

Soller Group

Tamara Soetemans arranged a meeting at the Cafe Paris, Plaza Constitucion in Soller on 8th March. During the meeting there was presentation of EporE and its work. Will Besga explained about the Coastal Law and Inheritance Tax.
An idea was proposed to organize a fundraising group to help replace the trees in the main square, “Friends of the Square”. Suggestions also included putting donation boxes in shops, a few cents on train tickets, petitions.  Tamara will talk to the town hall to find out if there are any estimates or offers already from viveros.  Carlos Simarro, the local mayor, has already been informed and he is delighted by the idea.
The issue of Aqualia was raised and there were allegations that they are charging for services that they don’t provide. The other issue raised was the problem of dog mess in Soller.
EporE is aware of the issue of the non-repayment of local residents of the tunnel toll and is monitoring the situation which has led to protests in the town.

 

AGM 2012

EporE Matriculation Tax Campaign Gets A Result

The association Europeos por España has achieved a major victory in its campaign to change the Matriculation Tax in Spain and help the nautical industry in the Balearics and across the country.

Menorca Group News

The next meeting of the Menorca group will be on 11th April 2012  at Restaurant Piccadero and will reflect the successful growth of this branch of EporE with Lorraine Ure now acing as co-ordinator. EporE President Kate Mentink and Treasurer Susan Worthington will attend. The press and public have been invited and the aims and objectives of the association will be shared. A cohesive database of members has been created, together with a further listing of "interested and sympathetic" parties, including local media.  Further meetings are planned for June and September this year.

Spark of hope for electricity users

EporE now has an agreement with the power company Gesa to provide a special service only for members of the association. This service includes:

Discount on bills (click here to see table)

A service in Spanish, English & German

A bill every 2 months- a meter reading (not estimated)

Bills can be sent to the UK / Germany if desired

Bills available online in Spanish & English

To benefit from this you must first be a member of EporE so join the association today, click here.
Then you must sign the application form - first and last page (you do not need to complete the complete form - the staff at ENDESA will do this - unless there is any change e.g. change of bank account, address or notification of mailing address (can be outside Spain) for sending the bills. You will need to attach copy of last bill.

PRESS RELEASE

 

Latest Local News

A warning that BLUE ZONE parking fees came into force in Calviá on April 1st.

Taxi drivers in Palma have agreed to take pets in their cabs, look for the sticker in the window.

A new Guardia Civil headquarters is opening in Son Bugadelles next to the police station.

The new 24/7 English radio station SPECTRUM FM Mallorca run by EporE committee member Laura Penn is now on air on 88.6FM. If you remember Luna Radio…this is even better. Congratulations Laura!

Coming Soon

Epore is inviting Balearic President, Sr. Bauzà to meet with the Committee & members.

A new EporE leaflet are now available for distribution. If you are able to help in the distribution, please contact us.

New EporE membership cards are also in production.

EporE is in discussions with Monarch Cosmos to get flights discounts for members of the association.

Kate’s Corner

Welcome to “Kate’s Corner”, a column of comment on one or two of the issues of the day.

The Real Europe?

The Balearic Islands, and of course the rest of Spain, including Europe as a whole, are experiencing very difficult times.  The national and localeconomies remain in crisis with unemployment running at over 5,000,000 of which 100,000 are right here in the Balearics.  Inevitably this situation is having a dramatic effect on European residents, many of whom are suffering severe financial hardship, only alleviated in some casesby the charitable works of a number of organisations and the care of neighbours and friends. Significant numbers have decided to return to their country of origin, especially the elderly. One of the results of these turbulent, stressful and worrying times is that the profile of the actual 120,000 European residents in the Baleares has changed radically.  Just a decade ago it was considered the norm for Northern Europeans to come to the Islands for retirement, or partial retirement with the husband retaining business interests in his home country, however, information recently published by the National Institute of Statistics shows that nearly 60% of the registered European population are now aged 18-42 years of age, with only 10% at retirement age.  That is to say that the average age has dropped a whole generation in the last 10 to 12 years. A large percentage of new European arrivals are coming here with their families, to work professionally as “autonomos”, or indeed to set up a small / family business. Many have Spanish partners, indeed in some cases the partners are of different nationality coming to live together in another country away from their place of birth. We only have to look in the school play-ground or our local businesses where numerous nationalities come together to work and play, to see an example of the real and ever changing situation that is today’s Europe in action. These constantly changing times only serve to highlight the importance of the work of EporE.

Soller Roadshow

The EporE Roadshow held in Soller on Tuesday 11th October at the Circulo Sollerense in Soller allowed local residents to meet Mayor Snr Carlos Simarro. The issues that were raised included resolving the problem with rubbish collection and the modification of the traffic system around the town with a proposed creation of a pedestrian area. There were also comments about the time scale of the reforms in the port and calls to re-establish the tram stops that have been removed. Mayor Simarro invited Europeos por España, through local resident and Epore representative Tamara Soetemans, to participate directly in future meetings.

Residencia Cards

The reinstatement of the Residencia Card has been an objective for EporE since 2009. Thousands of people have signed the EporE petition (this can be done at our website.) We have managed to get return of the cards into the electoral programme of the Partido Popular so, if they win the election, there is every chance we will get the card back in 2012. EporE is pushing for as many people to sign the petition to get back our Residencia cards so go to our online petition and we will present it to the new Minister of the Interior in January 2012