New mobile phone roaming charges all over Europe

EUROPE New charges for mobile phone roaming came into effect on Monday, July 1. The chart came directly from Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, which is the organization that sets the charges allowed to phone companies. The only thing that might vary is the VAT each country charges - but the major companies are reacting quickly, many of which are setting single-price offers. One of these is Vodafone and its Hablar y Navegar en Europa plan. Check with your provider.

Ship scrapping rules divide EU countries

Spain and France support non-compliance sanctions, Germany and UK oppose the measure

LUXEMBOURG New Community laws on the scrapping of ships has split the 27 countries of the European Union. The new rules are aimed at achieving the least possible environmental impact, but some the most controversial points are about sanctions against shipowners who break the rules. The EC agreed last week to continue paying the present subsidies until 2017, as well as help when a fleet is grounded temporarily. Spain thus managed to overcome opposition from some countries that had wanted to eliminate these subsidies immediately. The agreement has yet to pass the European chamber. Spains Minister for the Environment. Miguel Arias Cañete, on his arrival at the meeting said he believed "recycling of ships is important for Spain" because "it is an opportunity for our shipyards and other installations to be registered as being permitted to carry out this activity."

Brussels says Spain needs to tap EU rescue fund

SPAIN (El País / Claudi Pérez) European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said a few months back that European citizens are not ready for another round of bank recapitalization, but there may be an exception: Spain. The European Commission believes the Madrid government should tap the European Union rescue fund to accelerate the government-orchestrated restructuring that is already under way in order to get credit flowing again. Brussels believes the restructuring plan introduced by the team of Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, which calls for additional provisions of 52 billion euros by the banks to cover possible losses on real estate assets on their books could be insufficient if the crisis drags on. The restructuring is aimed at fomenting further consolidation in the sector, using when necessary injections from the Deposit Guarantee Fund, which is funded by the banks themselves.>>>

Brussels warns of increase in number of poor in Spain

SPAIN (Agencies) The drama of unemployment in Spain is well known, the result of a 21.5% rate, which doubles the European average. However, recent report from Brussels points out that the level of poverty within Spanish homes continues to grow, placing this country in third place, behind Greece and Romania. The report says that poverty among Spaniards who are employed is already at 11.4%. This is owed in large part to the high number of temporary employment contracts that exist here -25% of all people in work- that creates a 'considerable segmentation' between temporary and permanent workers. "The risk of poverty among temporary workers is over twice as much as that among permanent employees," says the text. Spain presents two kinds of employment>>>

EU Commission and Council of Europe confronted by wages increase

BRUSSELS It happened before, in 2009: the European Commission and the Council of Europe are on opposite sides of the fence about a salary increase for Commission civil servants. In fact, last Monday the Council lodged a complaint at the European Court, although there is no set date for the process to begin. In its defense, the Commission, which approved a salary increase of 1.7% for 2012 and is debating whether to do the same, says it is only respecting treaties by using norms and regulations regarding such items as cost of living increases in Brussels, which in essence affects civil servants from 'only' eight countries. Nevertheless, the general opinion is that an increase at present is 'untimely'. (Note: are you confused by Commission and Council? - we're glad we're not the only ones...)

Brussels criticizes Spain for treatment of animals

Castellar Zoo (English) from Igualdad Animal on Vimeo.

SPAIN (Agencies) The treatment given animals in Spain is worrying the European Commission. It therefore initiated proceedings yesterday on the treatment given animals at abbatoirs and threatened Spain with fines for those who live in zoos. As to the latter, the fines could be into the millions becausethe country ostensibly does not meet European regulations about the care of the animals nor on authorization for the zoos themselves. Spain was already fined because those zoo regulations were not being met in several regions (Aragón, Asturias, Balears, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Extremadura and Galicia) and proof has not yet been received that the proper "authorization is being issued, nor that the zoos that did not meet the required standards had been closed," according to an EU communiqué published yesterday. Recently, there have been demostrations all over Spain against animal cruelty, which followed a report issued by a pressure group called Igualdad Animal (Animal Equality) in which several zoos, including those of Jerez and Castellar (above), were condemned for the quality of care and space. Igualdad Animal demanded the closure of the zoos in their report because the animals suffer at "physical and psychological level, their facilities do not meet their needs, there is nowhere for them to look for food and there is no live vegetation nearby. We have chosen to show the Castellar zoo documentary because it is in the Campo de Gibraltar. However, zoos all over the country were included in it.

First E.coli damage estimations amounts to €51 million

Almeria under plastic

SPAIN (Agencies) The Minister for the Environment, Rosa Aguilar, yesterday announced that her ministry had estimated the initial damage due to the E.coli scare generated in Germany amounted to €51 million in the horticultural sector alone. She was quick to say that this was an initial estimate that had already been sent to the European Commission. She also pointed out that consumption of vegetables had gone up by 9.9% in Spain, and by similar amounts in the rest of foreign markets. The total damage to the Spanish industry has been estimated at €200 million per week, whereas the European Commission has set up a fund of €210 million to cover damages to producers of .