Car sales in Spain drop to more than half those of Europe

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SPAIN The auto market in Spain is in decline. This is not news, but alarm bells are ringing as a result of the figures for 2012. According to the Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, in its Automotive Retail Business report,  the annual downward spiral has been spinning at an annual 13.4%, compared to the European average of 6%. Although the decline is almost universal but particularly so in Europe, Spain is well behind individual countries that are reference points in vehicle manufacturing: Italy went down by 7.8%, the UK by 4.1%, Germany by 1.4% and France by 0.7%. (A more detailed article on this subject will soon be available on SpainInformer.com)

Chamber of Commerce prepares list of demands for candidates

Photo: campodegibraltar.es

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The Cámara de Comercio del Campo de Gibraltar (Chamber of Commerce, a somewhat different concept to that of other countries, and the subject of an upcoming article) has prepared a package of items it will be sending to the various electoral candidates at the coming local elections in May 22. A similar package is being set up by the national CofC organization for the elections next year. Among other things on the chamber's wish list are lower taxes so as to create employment, access to industrial land and more stringent payment schedules for municipal debts to small and medium businesses. The latter is one of the principal reasons so many small enterprises have gone out of business this last year.

Food industry move to non-urbanizable land gets approval

TARIFA (Agencies/Photo: illustration only) A unanimous decision by Tarifa Council has given the go-ahead to changes in the PGOU (Plan General de Ordenación Urbana) that will allow food producing industries to use non-urbanizable, rural or natural land. The move comes as a way to support local industries such as the canning facilities of Marina Real, La Tarifeña and Diego Piñero, grouped together years ago, and which had been demanding more space with which to expand and modernize, and thus compete in this highly competitive market. Aside from which, the plants have been progressively surrounded by housing, so a move to new facilities at the La Vega industrial estate is almost an inevitable one. It is also true that fish bones left over from the canning process are used to make flour; Harinas de Andalucía has a plant at La Vega, so the two go together and save transportation costs as well. All this, without mentioning the 'environmental impact' produced by these industries, which often produce extremely unpleasant smells in their neighbourhood, something that will be avoided in future.

Cork industry to get a boost

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) Retecork is the Spanish acronym for the Red Europea de Territorios Corcheros, or European Network of Cork Territorieas, of which the Campo de Gibraltar is a large part. Retecork presents cork and its natural environment as the basis on which to build sustainable development in rural areas. As a result of the presentation, the Ministry of the Environment, through its Directorate General for the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas, has set aside what is hoped to be only an initial sum of €515,813, which is to be used to 'help consolidate the image and identity of the cork territories'. Action is to be taken in Cataluña, Castilla-La Mancha, Comunidad Valenciana and Extremadura, as well as in the Campo area, where Los Barrios is a founding member of Retecork, and members include Jimena and Castellar.>