Spaniards and holidaymakers sweltering in the summer heat might not be too impressed, but desperate times — and a deep recession — call for desperate measures. The Spanish Cabinet agreed yesterday to reduce energy consumption by limiting the use of air conditioning. Madrid has decided to establish minimum and maximum temperatures for public buildings and thus shops, bars, airports, cinemas, railway stations and airports cannot be cooled below 26C (79F) in summer . During winter, moreover, heaters cannot be turned up above 21C . The Economic Sustainability Law is designed to reduce Spain’s overreliance on imported energy, but this may not figure highly in the priorities of anyone gasping for breath in August. It is not the only new direction taken by Spain as it seeks a path to better economic times: under new rules, banks and all publicly listed companies will have to disclose how much they pay their leading executives. Elena Salgado, the Economy Minister, said: “There will be more transparency, particularly in terms of top executives’ pay.” Shareholders should vote on executive pay at banks and listed companies at annual shareholder meetings, she said. After a decade-long building boom, Spain is mired in its worst recession in decades. Unemployment stands at nearly 18 per cent , double the European Union average, and while the broader eurozone has climbed out of recession, Spain is not projected to do so until at least 2010. The thrust of the reform is to try to wean Spain off its dependence on bricks and mortar and to introduce a more sustainable model of growth. Thus José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister, unveiled a ten-year plan to revamp the economy. A cornerstone of the new Bill will be greater investment in renewable energy, something that Mr Zapatero is known to favour over the nuclear power option. During the past five years, Spain’s Socialist Government has invested heavily in solar, wind and hydroelectric power. Mr Zapatero has hinted that his Government may not renew the licences of old nuclear power stations, a move that has provoked opposition from within the nuclear industry and from the conservative Opposition. via Spain turns down the air conditioning to save power – Times Online . Submit this to Script & Style Share this on Blinklist Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Share this on Reddit Buzz up! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Share this on Mixx Post this to MySpace Submit this to DesignFloat Share this on Facebook Tweet This! Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on Linkedin Seed this on Newsvine Share this on Devmarks Add this to Google Bookmarks Add this to Mister Wong Add this to Izeby Share this on Tipd Share this on PFBuzz Share this on FriendFeed Mark this on BlogMarks Submit this to Twittley Share this on Fwisp Moo this on DesignMoo! Share this on BobrDobr Add this to Yandex.Bookmarks Add this to Memory.ru Add this to 100 bookmarks Add this to MyPlace
See the original post here:
A hotter summer – Spain restricts use of air conditioning and heating
As a client of Movistar in Spain I have been saving points for a long time to buy a new Apple Iphone. I live in Marbella and since August been around to all the Movistar shops to get one. But there are none available. I see from other countries that they are there all the time. Is there a problem between Movistar and Apple since Movistar clients are not being offered Iphones? Well the whole world is talking about the Iphone and one day I hope the new ones will come to Movistar as well. Whats the point of having Movistar as a distributor when they dont have any Iphones ?
Read the original post:
Where do you get an Iphone in Spain with Movistar ?
If we assume that the legal matters are sorted in the next few months and the Marbella property owners can move on with their lives, this doesn´t compensate them for the months of misery and uncertainty that they have endured, particularly those who are desperate to sell their properties in Marbella as a result of the recent financial hardships. You see, if there is a hint of a problem as to the legality or status of a property in Marbella , the banks and mortgage lenders will avoid it like the plague – a handy excuse in the current credit crunch. So this means that the only option for sellers of properties caught in this legal minefield is to appeal to cash buyers who are prepared to take a risk……….however calculated that may be. This severely restricts the pool of available buyers, and drives the asking price lower still. One such area of Marbella that has been particulary affected is Elviria, 12 kilometres to the east of the town. Property in Elviria is in high demand – it offers some of Marbella´s most desirable permanent and holiday housing, boasts the coastline´s finest sandy beaches, and is home to a variety of sports and leisure amenities. Elviria was built upon the recent property boom, but that only means that most of its ´highly desirable´ projects are now subject to ratification in the new Town Hall plan, and so buyers are still unsure of which way to proceed. This is a crazy situation for everyone concerned. Forced sellers cannot sell, buyers who are desperate to invest in the area are reluctant to do so, lawyers have no real idea of what is going on, and estate agents with some of the best inventory in Marbella are sitting at their desks twiddling their thumbs. As the news filters through of an imminent announcement of the approval of all these ´dodgy´ developments, many buyers are now prepared to take a risk and take advantage of the misery of many sellers, hoping to bag a genuine bargain in a great location, hoping to see a quick return when the properties are finally ratified and the values rise accordingly. And you thought that buying property in Marbella was easy! Related Posts Marbella Property – Do Illegal Homes Represent the Best Buys? An Agent Buys a Property in Spain - Part 7 - Another House! An Agent Buys a Property in Spain – Part 1 – How Hard Can it Be?!
Read more here:
Marbella Property – Do Illegal Homes Represent the Best Buys? - PART 2
In his statement before the media, accompanied by Lawrence Gonzi, Mr. Rodríguez Zapatero listed the main objectives of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. The first objective, he said, is “without doubt” overcoming the current economic crisis and achieving economic recovery that could eventually result in a recovery of employment. The second objective is to strengthen the role of the EU in the field of international relations with the USA, Russia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. Regarding the Mediterranean, he reiterated before the Prime Minister of Malta, another Mediterranean country, that during the Spanish Presidency, the first Mediterranean Union Summit is to be held. Among other issues, it will address security matters. The third objective, the President stated, “is that of the EU’s internal order” and he referred to illegal immigration. The effort made in the European Union in recent months must translate into a strengthening of Frontex, and a task within the Union itself to ensure that a sense of “solidarity” prevails. This challenge affects the twenty-seven Member States, and Spain and Malta suffer from it particularly, added Rodríguez Zapatero, turning to Lawrence Gonzi. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta, highlighted that the Spanish Presidency of the EU will mark a “milestone” in which we hope to see economic recovery. He also declared that there will be a new President of the Union, a new High Representative for EU Foreign Policy and a new Commission. Furthermore, he agreed with the Spanish President on the importance of reviewing the Lisbon Strategy during this period. The leaders spoke about these topics during the meeting they had following the press conference. via La Moncloa. The President of the Government meets with the Prime Minister of Malta at Moncloa Palace . Submit this to Script & Style Share this on Blinklist Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Share this on Reddit Buzz up! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Share this on Mixx Post this to MySpace Submit this to DesignFloat Share this on Facebook Tweet This! Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on Linkedin Seed this on Newsvine Share this on Devmarks Add this to Google Bookmarks Add this to Mister Wong Add this to Izeby Share this on Tipd Share this on PFBuzz Share this on FriendFeed Mark this on BlogMarks Submit this to Twittley Share this on Fwisp Moo this on DesignMoo! Share this on BobrDobr Add this to Yandex.Bookmarks Add this to Memory.ru Add this to 100 bookmarks Add this to MyPlace
View post:
The President of the Government meets with the Prime Minister of Malta at Moncloa Palace
The Spanish government on Friday authorised private security firms, which protect Spanish trawlers from Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean to use large-calibre weapons. On-board security “for Spanish… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
View original here:
Spain allows trawlers to use military-type arms against pirates
