News
Gender equality
Spain is in the world top ten when it
comes to gender equality, according to the
Global Economic Forum. From lying in
29th place in 2018, the country had
rocketed up to eighth by the end of last
year. However, the Forum adds that Spain
still needs to enable more women to take
on director and company management
positions.
Balearics crack down
on booze-filled hols
Motorcyclist dies The authorities on the Balearic Islands
have introduced severe new measures
in an effort to curb the bad behaviour
of tourists in three popular resorts. The
new regulations were approved last
month with the intention of tackling
binge-drinking.
A 24-year-old man died on the westbound
A-7 at Maro early last month when his
motorcycle was in a violent collision with
the safety barrier and caught fire. The
emergency services were alerted by a
number of calls from passing motorists.
However, when they attended the scene,
they could only certify that the young
German rider had died. The areas where restrictions have been
imposed for an initial period of five
years are a long stretch of the capital,
Palma, and the Magaluf area on
Mallorca, plus the West End area of
Ibiza. All are popular with young
tourists from the UK, Ireland and
Germany.
Fatal crash
One person died and five others were
injured in a road accident on the A-356
north of Vélez-Málaga on January 19. A
van and a car are understood to have
crashed head-on near El Trapiche. The
fatal victim is understood to have been
travelling in the van, while a companion
and the four occupants of the car were all
taken to hospital in Vélez.
Caravan attack
A 48-year-old German national was
detained in Málaga last month after setting
fire to a caravan in which his 28-year-old
partner and year-old son were taking
refuge, causing injuries to the vehicle’s
owner. He is also accused of holding the
mother’s neck and shaking her. The
suspect is said to have been very drunk
and aggressive during the incident on
January 11 in the caravan site at La Araña.
Body found
The body of a 53-year-old man was found
on open ground in the Campanillas
district of Málaga at lunchtime on January
13. Investigators called to the scene
reported that he had suffered a severe
head injury, and that his documents had
been removed from him and were on the
ground. Police are continuing to pursue
the circumstances of the case.
Weapons found
Police in Periana have arrested a man
after uncovering an underground cache of
weapons and illegal hunting devices. Long
and short arms were found, along with
war ammunition and 281 bird traps. The
suspect has been charged with illicit
possession of firearms and offences
against the environment.
Happy hours, organised pub crawls,
alcoholic vending machines, free bars
and adverts for alcoholic drinks have
all been banned in these resorts where
tourists will also find themselves
unable to buy alcohol in shops between
9.30pm and 8.00am. So-called “party
boats” are prohibited from advertising
in the three designated areas and may
not pick up or drop off tourists there.
The practice of “balconing” – jumping
off balconies into hotel swimming
pools – is also banned after dozens of
drunken holiday makers have been
seriously injured or killed. Offenders
can now be thrown out of the hotel and
face a fine. The regional councillor
responsible, Iago Negueruela, said the
measures had made the Balearics the
first destination in Europe to, “fight
back against tourism based on excess.”
Local businesses which violate the new
regulations could be fined up to
€60,000 or be closed for three years.
However, businesses in the resorts
affected have been left unimpressed.
José Tirado, president of Mallorca’s
Tourism Services and Businesses
Association, described the new
regulations as “exaggerated and
disproportionate.”
Register as resident,
urges Ambassador
The UK’s Ambassador to Madrid has
written an open letter to British
nationals living in Spain about the
impact of Brexit. In his message, Hugh
Elliot emphasises the importance to
registering as resident by December
31st, 2020.
Assuming that the UK
left the EU as planned
on January 31, Mr
Elliot says that it is
important to know
that, “Your rights
under the Withdrawal
Agreement are
completely independent of the
negotiations about (the UK’s) future
trade and security relationship with the
EU.”
The Agreement, he adds, “contains
really important guarantees for you on
citizens’ rights, such as the right to
continue to live and work in Spain,
continuation of healthcare and up-
rating of pensions. Those rights will be
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protected for as long as you remain
resident in Spain, provided that you
are registered as a resident by
December 31st, 2020.”
The Ambassador underlines that it is
important to ensure that everyone is
correctly registered as
resident in Spain. He
suggests that those
who have not already
registered, should
make in a New Year
Resolution to get it
done, “as soon as you
can!”
However, he adds, “UK Nationals
cannot apply for a TIE (Tarjeta de
Identidad de Extranjero or foreigner’s
identity card) until after Brexit –
something I know some people have
been asking about.”
Any further changes to the residency
system after Brexit will be updated at
gov.uk/livinginspain, and on Facebook
at facebook.com/britsinspain.