News
Rock “opportunity”
Madrid says post-Brexit talks with the
UK are an “incredible opportunity” to
address the status of Gibraltar. Foreign
minister Arancha González believes that
the focus must address practical issues
which would strengthen Spain’s ties with
the British overseas territory. She also
reiterated the EU’s demand for a “level
playing field” despite the claim by UK
PM Boris Johnson that a change of status
for the Rock is “inconceivable.”
Farmers protest
Demonstrations to highlight falling
income for farm workers led to several
roads being blocked by tractors in Spain
last month. Trades unions are
demanding government action to stop
supermarkets cutting the price they pay
for fruit and vegetables, forcing
producers to sell for less. Total income to
Spanish farmers is reported to have
fallen by around nine per cent in 2019.
Valentine visit
King Felipe and Queen Letizia spent
Valentine’s Day in the Doñana National
Park at the end of its 50th anniversary
year. They attended a science conference
and took the opportunity to view some
of the diverse wildlife at the huge coastal
wetland on the border of Huelva and
Cádiz. Doñana is now officially one of
the 25 best-preserved nature areas
worldwide, according to the International
Union for Nature Conservation.
Telly targets
In a move intended to block the
unlicensed distribution of live football
matches, a Madrid commercial court has
compelled internet services providers
(ISPs) to block pirate sites and services.
The injunction, dated February 11,
targeted major operators including
Telefónica and Vodaphone and called for
over 40 pirate sites to be blocked within
72 hours. Under the order, other similar
sites can also be blocked without further
reference to the court.
Betting firms face
huge restrictions
First details of the Spanish
government’s plans to curb on-line
betting began to emerge last month.
Consumer Affairs Minister Alberto
Garzón said the new rules would
outlaw around 80 per cent of the
current gaming advertisements. He
claimed that the gambling sector
presently has “an impact on public
health” and that 100 measures being
proposed are a “first step” in dealing
with “social alarm” in the country.
As Soltalk went to press, the cabinet
was still to finalise the Royal Decree
although it was reported that the draft
text had already been submitted to the
EC for approval. It is understood
however that advertising for gambling
on all platforms – radio, television and
on-line – will be permitted only
between 1.00am and 5.00am. Some
advertising will be permitted during
live sports coverage, but only after
8.00pm and those ads which urge
viewers to “bet now” will become
illegal.
Sponsorship of sports teams will be
permitted, but naming rights for sports
stadiums is ruled out. Team kits will
only be allowed to display the
sponsor’s logo, while kits made in
children’s sizes will not be permitted to
carry such designs. Gambling
advertising will be barred in any
indoor or outdoor location frequented
by minors, including billboards and
bus stops.
Amongst other proposed restrictions,
celebrities - particularly those from the
sports sector - will not be permitted to
endorse gambling advertisements, and
ads will not be allowed to glamorise
betting or suggest that skill prevails
over luck when picking a winning side.
Marketing ploys offering free bets to
new customers will also be ruled out, a
practice which the government says
has attracted vulnerable people.
State-run lotteries such as ONCE will
have to observe the same conditions
but will not be subject to time
restraints on media advertising.
Penalties expected include fines of up
to €1 million and a six-month
suspension or permanent loss of
licences. Almost all leading Spanish
football clubs including Barcelona and
Real Madrid presently feature betting
firms amongst their sponsors, while the
gambling lobby has estimated that
around €10 billion is lost by the
country’s gamblers every year through
sports bets, casinos and national lottery
tickets combined.
New National Police
offices
Staff have been moving into the new
National Police headquarters in Torre
del Mar throughout February. The
building replaces the old base on
avenida de Andalucía which opened
in 1986 and which has for some time
been inadequate for housing 180 staff
and their associated requirements.
The new offices have been built on a
6,700 square metre site in the Cuesta
del Visillo area with access from
avenida Rey Juan Carlos I. They are
close to the Vélez-Málaga junction on
the A-7 autovía and south of the El
Ingenio commercial centre. The land
was ceded to the Interior Ministry by
Vélez-Málaga Town Council in 2012
and the foundation stone was laid by
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the then-Minister for the Interior,
Juan Ignacio Zoido, in March 2017.
The project has a budget of around
€2.7 million.
The three-storey building covers
4,108 square metres of which 3,594
square metres will be used, with
offices handling public enquiries
situated on the first floor. The
development includes parking for 25
vehicles.
The opening has been delayed for
some time by problems with the
power supply and telecomm-
unications services, but the official
inauguration of the new headquarters
is now expected shortly.