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

EporE expands to Menorca

The Mallorca-based association Europeos por España recently expanded its operations to the island of Menorca. On a cold and wet Wednesday local residents met at the Musupta Cusi restaurant in Son Clemente to find out more about EporE and to become members of the association.

The Honorary President of EporE, Kate Mentink, Committee member Laura Penn and Treasurer Sue Worthington traveled to Menorca to present the history of the association and to explain its aims and objectives. Many of the Menorcan residents concerns were identical to the issues that EporE is campaigning for; the return of the Residencia card, the right to vote in regional elections and the problem of the ever-increasing electricity bills. Other issues raised included holiday lettings of private properties, postal delivery changes and the service of Iberia airlines to and from Menorca.
This was the second meeting of EporE in Menorca and a third is planned as local residents take up the mantle of campaigning themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

AGM

La reunión tendrá lugar el miércoles día 1 de Febrero 2012 en la Sala de Reuniones del Círculo Mallorquín, Calle Concepción nº 4 Palma de Mallorca.
Apertura de puertas  a las 18:30 horas para inicio de la Asamblea a las  19:00 horas.

***

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 1st February, 2012. To be held at: Circulo Mallorquin, Calle Concepción 4, 07011 Palma de Mallorca.
Doors open at 18:30h. The AGM will start promptly at 19:00h.

***

Die Versammlung findet am Mittwoch, den 1. Februar 2010 statt. Ort der Versammlung:Circulo Mallorquin, Calle Concepción 4, 07011 Palma de Mallorca.
Die Türen werden um 18.30 Uhr geöffnet. Die Versammlung beginnt pünktlich um 19.00 Uhr.

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 Roadshow

The EporE Roadshow recently held a very successful meeting in Menorca at the restaurant El Piccadero. Special guest was the Regional Minister of Culture and Education for the Consell of Menorca Sra Maruja Baillo. Over 450 signatures from Menorca residents have now been collected for the petition to reinstate the Residencia cards. 22 new EporE members from Menorca joined the association and a new Menorca EporE committee was established consisting of Fred Bricknell, Janet Quayle and Lorraine Ure. Local resident Colin Guanaria offered his office at Bonnin Sanso in C/Nou in Mahon as a place for people to sign up to EporE and take advantage of the offers available to EporE members (see below).

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

 

The Right to Vote

On November 20th 2011 there was a national election in Spain. EporE has been campaigning for the past two years for the right of taxpaying non-Spaniards to have the right to vote in regional and national elections.
The European Commissioner for electoral rights, Mrs Viviane Reding of Luxembourg wrote recently in her Factsheet “they are deprived of one of their most important political rights just because they exercise their right to free movement”.

 

Coming Soon

EporE has a full schedule of events lined up for the spring including a chance to meet the President of the Balearics, José Ramon Bauzá.

 

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

Nautical News

The Nautical Forum has been invited, through Honorary President Kate Mentink, to meet PP Madrid candidate for the Balearics, Miguel Ramis on 15th November prior to the National Elections on the 20th, to discuss their demands and requirements from the National Government after the election. Thanks to Kate Mentink and her contacts with Rosa Estaras, the EMP for the Balearics, a letter was submitted to the EU Parliament requesting clarification on the matter of application of Spanish Matriculation Tax on EU charter boats when operating in Spain.
The reply was that the tax, within the Spanish Tax system, is legal, but what they do not consider is correct is that 100% (the TOTAL) of the tax is applied to non Spanish boats irrespective of the amount of time they charter within Spanish territory. It seems that this matter has to be clarified next year. (2012).

Both the National and Local Yachting/Nautical Business Associations are continuing their campaign to have all charter boats exempt from this tax – at the moment only charter boats of up to 15 meters, used exclusively for commercial purposes (no owner use) can apply for this exemption. There may be some change to the law early next year.

The Airport debate

The eighty plus hardy souls who, on a bitter December 1st night attended the debate at Mood, Costa D’en Blanes were not disappointed. Read more...

Crazy Coastline

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”. 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.